


A Little Whimsy

by zach_stone



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Transphobia, M/M, Pining, Trans Character, Trans Chris, and yes u read that right it's a coffee shop au AND a magic au, gay witches all around, none of the characters themselves say shitty things though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-05-29 19:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6390394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zach_stone/pseuds/zach_stone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knew about the Washingtons. They were ridiculously wealthy, with a large house on a hill that looked down on the rest of the town. But that’s not the main reason why everyone knew about them. See, the Washingtons were witches. And Sam had a problem with the Washingtons. </p><p>The coffee shop/magic Sath fic no one was asking for but I promise it is absolutely necessary. Featuring Climbing Class and Jemily for good measure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HEY Y'ALL! I am super pumped to finally start posting this fic that I've been sitting on for a little while now. I've been complaining for a while that there aren't nearly enough Sam/Beth fics (or F/F focused fics in general) in this fandom, and I decided I should put my money where my mouth is and try my hand at one. 
> 
> I know it's a random combo of AUs but who doesn't love a good coffee shop AU amirite? Plus I like writing about magic. 
> 
> (Side note, if you read my other fics, DON'T WORRY I am still going to finish Among the Shadows, I just couldn't stand waiting anymore to post this.)

Everyone in Fairton knew about the Washingtons. They were ridiculously wealthy, with a large house on a hill that looked down on the rest of the town. Bob Washington made movies, big-name movies that won awards and showed in the fancy theaters in the nicer, larger cities a few miles away. But that’s not the main reason why everyone knew about the Washingtons. See, the Washingtons were witches. Like, the bonafide, casting spells, making potions, magical powers kind of witches. The whole family, too — that wasn’t common. Usually if a witch lived in a town, it was just the one, some lone drifter who hung around until they got hitched and then went off to live in a witch commune or something. Either that or the Magical Board relocated them for whatever reason. These were the assumptions, of course. Small towns like Fairton had lots of weird ideas about witches, and not a lot of facts.

Sam had a problem with the Washingtons. Not because they were witches; that was kind of cool, she guessed, though growing up in a small town meant she didn’t know as much about them as she’d like. There was just something about the Washington kids that had always _irked_ her. Back in high school, they didn’t really talk to anyone, just sat together at their lunch table while everyone gave them a wide berth. Plus, there was the rich thing. Not that Sam would admit that to anyone, even herself, but she was bit sour over the fact that these literal millionaires were hanging around her podunk town.

Because of all this, Sam was considering digging in her heels to stop Emily from dragging her into Whimsy Cafe, the coffee shop the three Washington siblings worked at. It had only opened recently, and as far as Sam could tell when she’d walked past it, Josh and Hannah and Beth were the only employees. Not ideal.

“Why do we have to go _here_?” she grumbled. They were standing outside the door, her and Emily and Mike and Chris, and they could see Josh Washington through the window, wiping down the counter. “There’s a Starbucks like three blocks away.”

“Oh come on, Sam,” Emily chided. “This place has bitchin’ coffee. I was here with Jess the other day and I swear, their mocha frappe made me believe in a higher power. It’s good shit.”

“Seriously, what’s your deal?” Mike asked.

“She doesn’t like the Washingtons,” Chris said helpfully. Sam scowled at him. Emily, however, looked delighted.

“Holy shit, am I witnessing Sam express petty dislike? I didn’t know you had it in you! I’m so proud.” She squeezed Sam’s forearm, and Sam groaned.

“Stop it, I’m not being petty,” she said weakly. “I just… I don’t know, they’re weird. I don’t want their weird coffee.”

“I always thought they were okay,” Chris said thoughtfully. He was watching Josh through the window. “I had some classes with Josh back in high school, he was really smart. Hilarious, too, when he actually talked.”

“I don’t really give a shit if they’re weird or not, I just want some coffee,” Mike said. He nodded decisively, and then pushed open the door, effectively ending the debate. A little bell tinkled as the four of them filed into the shop, and Josh looked up with a crooked smile.

“Welcome to Whimsy Cafe,” he said as they approached. “Glad you finally decided to come inside. I was starting to wonder.”

Sam turned pink, but Emily waved the comment away. “Yeah, yeah. Can we get four mocha frappes, and make one of them vegan? It’s on me,” she added to her friends.

“Have I told you lately that I love you? Because I love you,” Chris said. Emily smirked at him as she handed Josh her credit card.

“I know you think sweet-talking me will get me to buy you a scone, but it ain’t happening, Christopher,” she said. He pursed his lips, disappointed. Josh gave Emily back her card and got to work on the drinks. Sam gazed around the shop while they waited. It was pretty empty at the moment, just a lone college student tapping away on their computer, earbuds in and a frown on their face. It smelled like cinnamon and honey and coffee beans in the cafe. An upbeat electronic song was playing quietly through speakers on the wall. The energy was warm and cozy and Sam had to admit, it was really cute.

“A delicious drink for a delicious lady,” Josh said, pushing one of four frappuccinos across the counter to Emily. She picked up the cup and shook her head.

“Cute, Washington. But I’m taken. And you’re not my type.”

Josh continued to grin as he handed Sam and Chris their drinks. “I know. You’re not mine either.” He winked at Mike when he gave him his drink, and Mike promptly almost dropped the cup in response.

“Oh, uh, I’m straight,” he said immediately. Josh burst out laughing.

“Yeah, well, no hard feelings; I’m not really into brunettes,” he said when he’d composed himself. Mike still looked disgruntled, so Emily started to lead the way to a table by the window. Sam could swear she heard Josh mutter, “Straight people…” as they walked away. She smiled a bit despite herself.

“I can’t believe Josh Washington was flirting with you,” Emily said to Mike with barely concealed mirth. Mike glowered at her.

“He was just being a dick,” he insisted. He took an aggressive slurp of his frappe and his expression softened slightly. “Goddamn, this is good.”

“I know right?” Emily said.

“What do you think he meant when he said he wasn’t into brunettes?” Chris said abruptly. The other three stared at him.

“That… he doesn’t like brown hair? It’s pretty straightforward,” Mike said. His eyebrows shot up. “Oh my god. Do you _like_ him?”

“What? No! Shut up,” Chris said, his ears turning red. “I was just wondering, jeez.”

“Coming here was such a good idea,” Emily said.

Sam was about to disagree, but then she took a sip of her drink and she was pretty sure she died and went to heaven. Maybe the Washingtons were weird and standoffish and rich and annoying, but they could make a mean cup of coffee. She’d give them that.

*~*~*

Despite having a decent time and an excellent mocha frappe, Sam didn’t return to Whimsy Cafe for more than a week. She had a research paper for her political science class that was kicking her ass three ways to Sunday, and she decided that she was going to spend that afternoon at the cafe with nothing but her laptop, notes, and determination. Oh, and caffeine. Lots of caffeine.

She convinced Emily and Chris and Mike to join her for a little bit, just to have the company. Emily said she couldn’t stay for long; she had a date with Jessica. They walked into the cafe, and Sam saw that this time it was Beth Washington behind the counter, her short hair partially hidden beneath a baseball cap. When the four of them came in, Beth looked up and said cheerily, “Oh, hey Chris! You want your regular?”

“Uh, yep,” he said, shrinking under the gaze of his three friends.

“Regular?” Sam repeated. “How often have you come in here since last week?”

“Um… daily?” Chris admitted. Mike whistled.

“Can you afford that?” Emily asked indelicately.

“Josh started giving me a discount after the third day,” Chris said. Mike smirked at him.

“I _knew_ you had a crush on him,” he said triumphantly. Chris stomped on Mike’s foot.

“Whatever, man, you don’t know shit,” Chris groused. He stalked over to the counter to retrieve his drink with a pointed, “ _Thank_ you, Bethany.”

“Uh-huh,” Beth said, smiling slightly. She turned her attention to the other three, still huddled by the door. “You guys gonna order something? No loitering allowed, you know.”

Emily ordered a mocha frappe again, Mike just got a muffin, and Sam decided to try the vegan chai latte. “Good choice,” Beth said to her. “It’s my specialty.”

“Great,” Sam said without much enthusiasm. She was already mentally writing the introduction to her paper. As soon as her drink was ready, she snagged the table by the window, and her friends joined her. The chai latte was incredible, and Sam had to stop herself from downing the whole thing in one gulp.

“Okay, I gotta go,” Emily said after a few minutes. “My lady awaits. Ta-ta, darlings.” She waved one manicured hand at the table and disappeared out into the street.

After a few more minutes of Sam ignoring Chris and Mike while she typed away on her computer, Mike whined that he was bored and convinced Chris to go do something with him. Chris kept shooting furtive glances at the counter, but it was clear Josh wasn’t going to come in any time soon, so he relented.

“See ya later, Sammy,” Chris said as they left. “Don’t work too hard.”

“Sure,” she said, not really listening. Mike reached over and ruffled her hair, and she slapped his arm before he and Chris departed. Then it was just Sam and her paper. The final showdown.

She stayed for hours, until the sun was setting and the cafe’s customers had dwindled, leaving her the lone patron. Beth had the music tuned to some pop punk station, which was a weirdly great motivator for Sam’s essay. Every so often she ordered another chai latte, partly because she didn’t want to seem like she was loitering, and also because they were really freaking good. When she got up to order her fourth one, Beth gave her a distinctly judgmental look.

“You know, I’m not sure this is good for you,” she said. “I feel like I should stage an intervention or something.”

Sam snorted. “I’m singlehandedly keeping you in business right now. You should be thanking me.”

Beth laughed, a warm sound that made Sam’s chest get a little fluttery. Or maybe it was just all the caffeine. “Fair enough, Samantha. But I’m cutting you off at your fifth. One of us has to be the responsible person here.” As she spoke, she put together Sam’s drink, handing it to her with flourish.

“How do you make these taste so good?” Sam asked, peering into the cup. “Seriously, do you use magic or something?”

Beth smiled. “Oh, sure. I put a love potion in every one, that’s why you keep coming back for more.” When Sam looked affronted, Beth laughed again. “I’m fucking with you, relax. Magic doesn’t work like that.”

“Then how does it work?” Sam asked, finding herself genuinely interested. She leaned against the counter, taking a sip of her tea.

“Well,” Beth said thoughtfully. “Okay, so every witch is born with a natural predisposition to a certain type of magic. Like, mine is plant magic. My sister Hannah’s is animals. Josh is people. My dad’s people, too. It’s why his movies are so popular; he’s got _influence_. My mom’s got fire power, which is really badass.”

“So you can control plants or something?” Sam asked.

“Pretty much. That’s the real reason why the chai is so good, by the way. I grow all the ingredients myself.” She looked proud. “I mean, it’s not like Harry Potter or anything. We’re mostly just like regular people. Just with a few extra special perks.”

“Huh,” Sam said. “That’s really interesting, actually. I guess I never knew much about witches.”

“Yeah, they don’t teach you shit about it in school, especially not in this town,” Beth said. “Which is total bullshit, honestly, because now there’s all these people wandering around with all these misconceptions, thinking we can turn people into toads or whatever.” She shook her head. “Anyway, you should probably get back to… whatever it is you’ve been doing over there.”

Sam glanced back at her abandoned computer. “Oh yeah,” she said. “Political science paper. My mortal enemy.”

Beth wrinkled her nose. “Yeesh, I don’t envy you. I’m so glad I’m not in college.”

“Do witches not need higher education?” Sam said teasingly.

“As a matter of fact, we do,” Beth said. “We could go to college, but my parents are into the more traditional route. My brother is apprenticing under my dad right now. Dad used to be on the Magical Board and he wants Josh to follow in his footsteps or whatever. Han and I will probably get apprenticeships eventually.” There was a bitter edge to Beth’s voice, but Sam decided not to question it. She picked up her drink and nodded slightly.

“That’s cool,” she said, and she meant it. “Well, guess I should get back to work.” She made her way back to the table.

After a moment, Beth called over to her. “Hey, so, we close in like twenty minutes.”

Sam looked at the time on her computer and swore softly. “I can’t believe how late it is,” she said.

“Yeah…” Beth said, fiddling with her apron strings. “What’re you doing after this?”

“I guess just going home,” Sam said with a shrug.

“Oh. Well, d’you want to come upstairs to the apartment? See some magic?”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Are you hitting on me?”

Beth laughed. “No! I’m being serious. Me and my siblings live above the shop. I wanna show you something neat. I think you’ll like it.”

Sam considered this. Beth was actually pretty cool; she was nice, and funny, and not at all standoffish the way Sam had pegged her to be in high school. Maybe she’d been a little harsh in her judgment. Anyway, it couldn’t hurt to go upstairs for a bit, right? All Beth’s talk about magic had caught Sam’s interests. She found herself nodding. “Yeah, that’d be fun. Just let me know when it’s time to get out of here.”

“Great!” Beth said, beaming. “You won’t regret it, I promise. Now get back to work, college girl.”

Sam rolled her eyes, chuckling as she tried to bring her focus back to her paper. Beth was singing quietly along to the music, and the smell of spices was thick in the air.

 

Beth finished cleaning up the store and clicked off most of the lights. She ducked out from behind the counter and approached Sam’s table. “Ready to go?” she asked.

Sam closed her laptop and put it back in her bag. “Yep!”

“Okay, follow me,” Beth said. She led Sam out the side door, where there was a staircase that led to a second-story landing. The stairs kept going up past the landing, Sam noticed. “That’s for the roof,” Beth said, following her gaze. “Josh goes up there a lot to stare broodingly out at the city or something equally dramatic.” She fumbled for her keys in her pocket, opening the door to the apartment and clicking on the light inside. She took off her baseball cap and hung it on a hook by the door, along with her apron. Two more aprons were already on the hooks.

“Where are your siblings?” Sam asked.

“Josh is probably at a party,” Beth said. “Han’s sleeping. She opens the shop tomorrow, so she’s out early.” She pointed excitedly to one of the closed doors. “Anyway, come on. In here.”

As they walked to the door, Sam looked around the apartment. It was surprisingly… ordinary. She’d been expecting cauldrons and pointy hats. She gestured to the mirror hanging on the wall. “Is that a magic mirror?”

Beth rolled her eyes. “No.”

Sam pointed to the kettle on the stove. “Is that a magic kettle?”

“No!”

At that moment, the biggest cat Sam had ever seen in her life came around the corner. It was the size of a large dog; its head came up to Sam’s waist. Sam clutched Beth’s arm. “What the hell?” she yelped.

“Oh,” Beth said, looking down at the cat. “That’s Hannah’s cat, Bartholomew. _He_ is magic,” she added with a smirk. She opened the door they’d been heading for. “After you.”

Sam entered the room. It was a bedroom; Beth’s, she assumed. Pretty normal, except for the wall that was covered floor to ceiling in giant twisting plants, all in huge ceramic pots. They looked sort of like succulents, but Sam had never seen anything like them before.

“My pride and joy,” Beth said. “Fervens.”

“That’s latin, right?” Sam asked. “For—”

“Glowing, yeah,” Beth said. “Wanna see why?” She was grinning again, barely containing her excitement. Sam nodded. “Okay, sit here,” Beth said, steering Sam to sit down on the bed facing the wall of plants. Then she flicked off the lights and shut the door. For a moment, the room was completely dark. Then, slowly, the entire wall of plants started to glow, a soft seafoam green color. Sam gasped quietly.

Beth bounced onto the bed beside her. “Pretty awesome, right?”

Sam could hardly find words. “This is.... I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Magic,” Beth said simply.

“No kidding,” Sam breathed. She glanced sideways at Beth to see the other girl was watching her, her face lit dimly by the glowing fervens plant. Sam wondered why she’d thought Beth was weird or rude. She looked peaceful and sweet in this light, and Sam felt her heart flutter again. Stupid four chai lattes, she thought.

“I guess you should probably go home,” Beth said after a while, both of them staring at each other almost as much as they stared at the plants. Sam nodded.

“I guess so. This was… well, way cooler than how I expected to end my night, that’s for sure.”

Beth smirked. “I figured. Oh! That reminds me.” She jumped to her feet and stumbled in the darkness over to her dresser, where she fumbled with something Sam couldn’t see for a moment before returning and pressing a folded piece of paper into Sam’s hand. “Here. This is my phone number. Text me sometime, okay? We can hang out. If you want.”

“I’d like that,” Sam said, smiling. She tucked the paper into her pocket. “I’m sure I’ll be back for more of your chai lattes soon.”

“What’d I tell ya? Irresistible,” Beth said. Sam laughed and stood up. Beth followed, walking her to the front door of the apartment. “Get home safe! Text me when you’re home so I know you’re okay?”

“Sure thing,” Sam said. She waved, and Beth waited until she was halfway down the stairwell to shut the door.

It wasn’t until Sam got home and texted Beth that she was safe and sound, receiving a thumbs up emoji and a buff arm emoji in response, that it occurred to her that maybe her heart wasn’t just fluttering because of the caffeine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME NOTES:  
> -This fic takes place in the made-up small town of Fairton, which is in northern California, near the Cali-Oregon border. As far as I know it is not a real place, anyway. It is based on my imagination and a collective 11 days spent in NorCal in my life. 
> 
> -If you want an idea of the kind of electronic music Josh has playing in the cafe while he's there, try [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koN-jLcGuAo&ab_channel=haliborn).
> 
> -The way magic works in this AU is still being sorted out in my brain but it will be talked about much more as the fic progresses, so don't worry!!!
> 
> NEXT TIME: what kind of music does Hannah play in the cafe? how do Matt and Ashley fit into this universe? answers to these questions and more!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam meets the third Washington sibling, and Chris gets embarrassingly excited about puns. What else is new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild warning for some super brief/vague mentions of past transphobia, but it's hardly there. just wanted to give y'all a heads up in case!

It was almost embarrassing how much Sam wanted to go back to Whimsy Cafe the very next day. Her wallet was seriously hurting from all those chai lattes the night before, though, so she told herself she’d have to wait until she got her next paycheck from the tutoring center where she worked. She did a decent job at sticking to her plan — for two whole days. But then she had a bunch of errands to run, and on her walk back from the post office, she passed right by Whimsy. She happened to glance in the window and saw Chris sitting at a table. He caught her eye and waved enthusiastically, beckoning her inside. It would be rude to leave him hanging, right? Right. She entered the cafe.

It smelled like honey and lemon, and there was a peppy folk song playing from the overhead speakers. Sam looked over at the counter and saw that this time it was Hannah, the third Washington sibling, manning the store. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she made a customer’s drink, nodding her head to the music. She practically radiated happiness, even from across the room. Sam had a smile on her face when she reached Chris’s table. He nudged the chair across from him with his foot and she sat down.

“What’s up?” he said in greeting.

“Oh, the usual,” Sam said with a shrug. “You still getting that discount?” she added, eyeing his half-empty cup. He nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

“Guess they just can’t resist my charm,” he said. Sam snorted.

“I’m sure that’s what it is,” she said.

Chris fixed her with a stare. “Hey. So. You never told me what happened Saturday night, when you were here by yourself. I want the dirty details, Sam.”

“What makes you think there are dirty details?” she said, ignoring his insistent expression and looking out the window.

“Don’t play me like this, Sammy,” Chris lamented. Before Sam could come up with another reply to dodge his questions, Hannah approached their table. She was beaming at the two of them.

“Hi! I’m Hannah. You’re Sam, right?” she said, sticking out her hand for Sam to shake. “It’s so awesome to actually meet you! Beth can’t stop talking about you, oh my gosh.”

“Really?” Sam asked, turning a little pink. Chris raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, _really_?” he repeated. Sam drove her foot into his shin.

“She told me she showed you her fervens!” Hannah continued, missing this little exchange. “So cool, right?”

“Yeah, it was incredible,” Sam agreed.

“Oh! And you met Bartholomew,” Hannah added.

“Who’s that?” Chris asked.

“My cat,” Hannah said.

Chris’s eyes widened. “Wait, wait. You have a cat named Bartholo _mew_? Please tell me that subtle pun is intentional. Oh my god.”

Hannah laughed. “Yeah, Josh named him.”

Chris put a hand to his chest like he was too overcome with emotion to speak. Sam rolled her eyes. Hannah giggled again.

“Anyway,” she said, turning back to Sam, “you wouldn’t happen to want a chai latte, would you?”

Sam blinked in surprise. “Um, yeah, actually.”

“Okay! Hang on a sec,” Hannah said. She went back to the counter and produced a chai latte, already made. She walked back over to their table and set it in front of Sam. “There you go! Beth made it for you.”

“Is she here?” Sam asked. Hannah shook her head.

“No, she doesn’t work today, she’s got errands and stuff to do. But she makes the best chai, so she prepped it for you this morning before she left.” Hannah stopped Sam’s hand when she made to get out her wallet. “It’s on the house,” she said.

“Oh,” Sam said. “Um, thank you.”

“You bet!” Hannah said. She glanced back at the counter and saw a couple customers lining up. “Oops, gotta get back to work. Need a refill, Chris?”

Chris shook his head, and Hannah hurried back to her post. Chris and Sam watched her for a moment before Chris turned back to Sam with one of those _looks_ on his face. He appraised her over the top of his glasses.

“So,” he said delicately. “Beth showed you her fervens, huh? What’s _that_ code for?”

“Don’t be such a perv,” Sam said, kicking him again. “It’s this magical plant she has growing in her room. It glows in the dark. It’s cool.”

“If you say so,” Chris said, sipping his drink.

“What _I_ want to know is how Beth knew I’d be here today,” Sam said.

“Hmm. You gonna tap that?” Chris asked. Sam stared at him.

“Excuse me?”

He immediately looked abashed. “Um, no, sorry, it’s just… well, that’s how Josh talks, you know? And I’ve been trying to talk more like him, I guess. I want him to think I’m cool.”

Sam tried to hide her grin. “Okay, first of all? I guarantee you that talking like that won’t make you seem any cooler. Man, you’ve got it bad, huh?”

He scowled at the tabletop. “Shut up.”

Sam laughed, pulling out her phone to text Beth. _Hey. At Whimsy rn, and there was a chai conveniently waiting for me. How’d you know???_

 _Would you believe magic psychic powers?_ Beth replied. A moment later: _Nah but actually I’ve been making them every morning just in case you drop in when I’m not there. Don’t laugh at me._

Sam grinned at the message, warmth filling her chest. Chris clicked his tongue as he observed her.

“Well well well,” he said. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s crushing on a Washington.”

“So you admit you have a crush?” Sam countered. Chris groaned.

“You’re the worst,” he grumbled.

“Speak of the devil,” Sam said, nodding over to the counter. Josh had just appeared from the back of the store, and he was hopping over the counter and making a beeline for their table. Chris’s reaction was instantaneous; his face broke into a smile, and he was looking at Josh with the most painfully obvious heart eyes Sam had ever seen. She hoped that’s not what she’d looked like reading Beth’s texts.

“Chris! My main man!” Josh said, grabbing a chair from another table and swiveling it around to sit on it backwards, legs on either side.

“Hey, bro,” Chris said. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” Josh said with a shrug. He turned to Sam. “I don’t think we were ever formally introduced. I’m Josh.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m Sam,” she said. He smiled.

“Yeah, I know.” He shifted his attention back to Chris. “Han gave you a discount for that, right?” he asked, nodding to Chris’s drink.

“Yup. Seriously, though, you guys don’t have to keep doing that,” Chris said, looking embarrassed again. Josh waved this away.

“Friends get a discount,” he insisted. “It’s nice to finally have a chance to use that policy.”

Chris’s brow furrowed. “You don’t have friends?”

“Chris!” Sam exclaimed. “Don’t ask things like that!”

Josh snickered. “It’s fine. But dude, you saw how it was in high school. Me and the twins weren’t exactly top running for most popular.”

“I guess I just thought you had like, other witch friends or something,” Chris said.

“Nah, there’s not a lot of other families in the area,” Josh said. “Closest is like, San Fran, I think.”

“I mean, didn’t you kind of perpetuate the whole not having friends thing?” Sam found herself saying. Josh looked at her, eyes narrowing. “Like, back in high school, you guys always sat by yourselves. You didn’t try to make friends.”

“Is that how you saw it?” Josh asked coolly. Sam suddenly felt ashamed for even saying anything. Now that she really thought about it, maybe it wasn’t so much that the Washingtons didn’t reach out as it was that the rest of the school avoided them. As if sensing her embarrassment, Josh’s mood shifted instantly. He patted her arm, smile returning. “I guess you’re probably right,” he said. “Ah well. Making friends now, huh, Chris?”

“Totally,” Chris agreed. Josh cut his eyes to him, smile widening, and he placed his free hand on Chris’s arm, squeezing lightly before he released both of them and stood up.

“Well, gotta go,” he said. “Catch you two on the flipside.”

“Okay! See ya around!” Chris said. Josh winked at him before heading back to the counter, clambering over it and disappearing into the back again. Hannah flicked the side of his head as he passed, and he stuck his tongue out at her before he was out the door and out of sight. Chris sighed, propping his chin up against his fist.

“Oh my god, look at you,” Sam said. “You’re embarrassing yourself, Christopher.”

“Sam. He gave the cat a pun name. A man after my own heart!”

“He seems pretty okay, I guess.”

Chris scoffed. “He’s great. Like, I always thought he was cute, back in high school? But now that I’ve been getting to know him, he’s really cool too. Super funny and god, so charming.”

Sam thought back to what Beth had said, about how Josh had “people magic.” She wasn’t sure exactly what that entailed, but she wondered if that had something to do with Josh’s charm. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt. Again.”

Chris glowered at her. “That was two years ago, Sam, let it go.”

“Have you?” she asked.

“Ugh,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Why do you always bring this up? One bad breakup and you’re crawling up my ass.”

“It was more than just a bad breakup. Alaina said awful things, she messed you up for a while. I have a right to be worried.”

“You’re killing me, Sammy,” Chris said. “Seriously, I’m over it. It sucked, transphobia sucks, but whatever. Josh isn’t like that, okay? And nothing’s even happened, so stop worrying.”

Sam bit her tongue to keep from arguing. She’d known Chris since middle school, they’d seen each other at their highs and lows. He was her best friend, and she couldn’t help but get a little mama bear protective when it came to him. He was a big boy, though, and he could take care of himself. Probably. She shrugged and said, “Fine, I’m not worrying.”

Chris rolled his eyes but let it go. Sam drank her chai and watched Hannah serve people their coffee. Eventually Chris brought up something dumb Mike said the other day and they easily fell into their usual banter, the awkward moment gone.

*~*~*

After she’d finished her drink, Sam ducked back out of the store to finish her errands for the day. Next stop: craft store. She had to pick up some poster board for a group project in her biology class. She got distracted looking at all the silk flowers at the front of the store, mind wandering to Beth’s magical plant.

“Please tell me you’re not about to buy a fake plant,” said a voice behind her. Sam nearly jumped out of her skin, whirling around to see Beth standing there, holding a basket with a bunch of clay pots in it.

“You scared me,” Sam said. Beth grinned.

“Sorry,” she said. “But really though. You’re not gonna buy one of those, are you?”

Sam glanced back at the fake flowers. “Uh, no?”

“Good. I thought you were about to break my heart, Sam.” Beth shifted the basket to her arm so she could clap her hands together. “So! What brings you to the craft store on this fine day?”

“Buying some stuff for a class project,” Sam said. Beth wrinkled her nose.

“Ugh, lame. Don’t you ever do anything besides school? I thought maybe you had an artsy hobby.”

Sam rolled her eyes, heading for the paper goods aisle and smiling to herself when Beth fell into step beside her. “I’m not much for visual art. But I have hobbies!”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“I rock climb. I volunteer at the local animal shelter. I run the local half-marathon every year.”

“Okay, okay,” Beth said. “Sheesh, you’re as bad as Hannah. All athletic and shit.”

“Not a fan of exercise?” Sam asked, shooting her a smug look. Beth elbowed her.

“Hey, I can be sporty too! I kick Josh’s ass at baseball every year when we go up north. And I go on hikes all the time.”

“Maybe I’ll drag you out hiking with me someday then,” Sam said. “I usually take Mike or Chris but they just bitch the whole time.”

Beth laughed, and Sam noticed that she seemed a little pink in the cheeks. “That’d be fun, yeah.”

Beth helped Sam pick out a couple big pieces of poster board, and then a few glitter glue sticks because “everyone needs glitter glue, Samantha.” While they were standing in the checkout line, a thought struck Sam.

“Hey, so I have a question,” she said. Beth looked at her, eyebrow raised. “Your brother… you said he had ‘people magic,’ right? What does that mean?”

“Oh,” Beth said. “You’re worried about him manipulating Chris, aren’t you?”

Sam flushed. Was she really that transparent? “Maybe.”

“It’s not like that,” Beth assured her. “It just means he’s able to read people really well. He can sense your emotions, what you’re feeling, if you’re having trouble articulating something he usually understands anyway. He knows what people need to hear, what they want, what they need him to be. Makes him really good at working with people. He makes them feel understood.”

“Huh,” Sam said. “And that’s all?”

“Well no, there’s more to it than that,” Beth said. She set her items on the conveyor and the cashier rung them up. “But trust me, Josh isn’t gonna do anything bad to Chris. My brother’s a good guy.”

“Okay,” Sam said. “I didn’t think he _wasn’t_ a good guy, it’s just…”

“No, I get it,” Beth said. “Chris is important to you, you wanna protect him. It’s sweet.”

“He thinks it’s annoying,” Sam laughed. Beth shrugged.

“Josh thinks it’s annoying when Han and I make sure he’s not partying too hard or drinking too much, but I know he appreciates it deep down. I bet Chris does too.” She took her bagged purchases from the cashier and stepped away so Sam could buy her items.

When they’d both finished checking out, they walked outside and stood in front of the store. “Where you off to now?” Sam asked.

“Gotta go harvest some fervens,” Beth said. “I’m taking in some cuttings to this exhibition thing in a few days, see if I can get an apprenticeship.”

“That’s so cool!” Sam said. Beth didn’t look too enthused.

“I guess,” she said. “Anyway, I gotta get going. Maybe I’ll see you at Whimsy soon?”

“Definitely,” Sam agreed. “It was nice running into you!”

They waved and went their separate ways.

*~*~*

“So when are you gonna tell us about this _girl_ you like?”

Sam looked up from her notebook to frown at Ashley, who was propping her chin up on her fist and smiling innocently. Across the table, Matt waved his hand irritably at them both.

“Can we keep the conversation project-related only, please?” he said. “My grade depends on this shit.”

“Relax, Matty, we won’t let you fail,” Ashley said. “Don’t you want to know about Sam’s girlfriend?”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Sam exclaimed. “We’ve only really talked like, twice. Anyway, who told you?”

“Chris,” Ashley said, shrugging. “Who else?”

“Oh yeah,” Matt said, looking more interested. “Is this that like, magic girl? From the coffee shop?”

“Ugh,” Sam said, thunking her head against the table. Matt and Ashley weren’t from Fairton originally — Ashley was from Seattle, and Matt from Los Angeles — so they weren’t as well-versed in the Washington family gossip. The three of them had met in a freshman English class, and the study group they formed got them all through the semester. Since then, they’d planned to take at least one class together every semester. This time around, it was biology. It was kicking all of their asses, and they’d been working on their group presentation for hours. Normally, Sam would be happy to take a gossip break. This, however, was not the kind of gossip she had in mind.

“Oh my gosh, can we go to the coffee shop? To work on our project?” Ashley said excitedly.

“Can we talk about something else? Please?” Sam said, still facedown on the table.

“Oh, young love,” Ashley said, poking the side of Sam’s head. “Hey, so I thought you told us the Washingtons were jerks.”

“I guess I kind of made a harsh judgment,” Sam admitted, turning her face to the side so she could speak without being muffled. “I didn’t really know them.”

“You judged them before getting to know them?” Matt said. “That’s so mean and unlike you.” He chuckled when Sam flipped him off.

“Well, I’m happy for you, Sam,” Ashley said. “Seriously, I’ve been waiting for two years for you to find a special someone. I was starting to think I’d have to woo you myself.”

“You wish,” Sam snorted.

“Rude! I could totally woo you,” Ashley protested. She turned to Matt. “I could woo Sam, right?”

He frowned. “Don’t drag me into this.”

“Aw, it’s okay, Matt. I’ll woo you, too.” She winked at him, and he flushed, staring back down at his notebook. “Okay, really though, I wanna go to the coffee shop. I could use a caffeine boost,” Ashley said.

“What’s wrong with the dorm?” Matt said. “I’m in a groove here. Quit interrupting our studying to stalk Sam’s maybe-crush.”

“ _Thank_ you,” Sam said. “Matt, have I told you how much I love you lately?”

He looked terribly embarrassed. “Why is everyone hitting on me? Cut it out, it’s weird. You guys are weird. Do your work.”

“Bossy,” Ashley chided, but she pulled her textbook towards herself again. “Anyway, Sam, you can’t keep this girl from us forever. What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t meddle in your love life?”

“I’m not even going to bother answering that.” Sam busied herself with her studies again for the next hour, and by the time the three of them parted ways she felt at least a little less flustered.

She was about to go to bed when Beth texted her. _Still wanna make good on that promise to take me on a hike?_

 _Obviously,_ Sam responded.

Beth’s text arrived seconds later. _Tomorrow morning. 8am. Meet me at the West Point trail. Be there or be square!!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm like 99% sure jessica will finally make an appearance next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hiking date, a party, and some quality time spent with a giant cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i know i said jess would be in this chapter but it ended up getting WAY longer than i intended so i pinky promise she (and emily) will be in the next one!!!!

When Sam woke up at seven the next morning, she was surprised to see she had a series of text messages from Chris. He was never awake before her, especially not on a day when he didn’t have class. She scrolled through the messages, blinking sleep out of her eyes.  

 

 

> _I had to drag my ass outta bed stupid early for a doctor’s appt. End me pls._
> 
> _Hey though since I’m already awake wanna do breakfast when I’m done?_
> 
> _Saaaaaam I know you’re a weirdo morning person keep me company_

 

She snorted quietly, tapping out a quick reply. _Shoot I totally would but I already have 8am hiking plans with Beth!!! Sorry my guy._

Chris’s response was immediate. _WHAT!!! Ok 1) WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU FIEND and 2) I can’t believe I’m being abandoned like this. Mostly #1 though._

Sam rolled her eyes and called Chris so she could talk while getting ready. He picked up with an icy, “Well, if it isn’t the traitorous friend who doesn’t tell me shit.”

“Give it a rest,” Sam said, shifting the phone to hold between her shoulder and ear as she rummaged through her closet. “She literally just invited me last night, I was gonna tell you.”

“So is this a _date_?” Chris asked. Sam froze, a pair of leggings clenched in her hand. _Was_ this a date? Did she want it to be a date? Okay, yes, if the flush quickly spreading across her cheeks was any indication, she totally wanted it to be a date.

“I don’t know. We barely know each other,” she hedged. Chris made a “pfft” sound.

“That is a weak-ass excuse and we both know it. This is totally a date.”

“Does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?” she said.

“I guess you’re forgiven.” She could hear the smirk in his voice. “I expect juicy details after, though.”

“Oh my god. You’ve been hanging out with Jess too much,” Sam chided, but she couldn’t help smiling. “Okay, I gotta go. Have fun at the doctor’s.”

“Gee, thanks. Have fun being gay,” he said.

“Bye, Chris.”

*~*~*

Beth was already waiting when Sam got to the trailhead for the West Point trail, leaning casually against the sign marking the start of the path as she scanned the treeline ahead. She was wearing her baseball cap again, but this time it was on backwards.

When Sam got close enough, she called, “Morning!”

Beth turned to her, and her face split into a grin. “You made it!”

“What, did you think I was gonna bail?” Sam asked. Beth shrugged.

“I thought maybe you’d sleep through it,” she said. “But this is seriously the best time to hike. The flowers are still waking up.”

Sam smiled as they started down the path.  “That’s adorable.”

“I’m serious, look!” Beth pointed to a little cluster of flowers off the path, the petals still curled up from the night. She walked over to the flowers and crouched next to them, and then waved her hand over the tops. The petals stretched open. Another wave and they were closed again.

“Whoa,” Sam whispered. Beth looked up at her, smiling.

“Neat, huh?” She stood up, dusting off her knees. “I’ll leave ‘em alone for now, though. Let them do their thing.”

The two of them continued down the path. It was a cloudless day, but still brisk with late fall chill. The leaves were still turning, gold and orange mixing with the green. Beth took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “God, I love it out here,” she said.

“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “It’s nice to be here with someone who actually appreciates nature for once.” She hopped over a fallen tree in the path, then offered her hand to help Beth over.

“Very chivalrous,” Beth teased, but she accepted the help. Beth’s hand was warm, palms soft, and Sam felt a jittery stirring in her ribs. Even when Beth was over the tree, she didn’t let go right away. After a moment, they both laughed awkwardly and dropped hands.

“So,” Sam said, clearing her throat. “You excited about that plant exhibition?”

Beth’s expression clouded. “Sure, I guess.”

“Is everything okay?” Sam asked, uncertain.

“It’s just…” Beth sighed, kicking a pebble in the path. “I don’t really want an apprenticeship to be an apothecary or a fucking glorified gardener or whatever.”

“But your plant stuff is so good,” Sam said. When Beth continued looking morose, she pressed, “Well, what do you want to do, then?”

Beth hesitated. “Um, honestly? I want to do what Josh is doing. Apprentice to be on the Magical Board. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

“You should!” Sam said. Beth snorted a humorless laugh.

“Yeah, that would never fly with my parents.”

“Oh,” Sam said. She wanted to ask more, but got the sense that this was a touchy subject. There was still so much she didn’t know about Beth, about her family. Beth glanced sidelong at her and then bumped her with her shoulder.

“Hey, let’s keep going. I wanna get to the peak while it’s still early.”

The continued forward, sharing lighter smalltalk and pointing out birds and rabbits along the way. By the time they crested the last hill and reached the clearing at the peak, the sun was warm overhead. Beth skipped the last few feet out of the trees’ shade and spread her arms, face tilted up to the sun.

“C’mon,” she said, waving Sam over. “You’re missing out on the view.”

Sam jogged over to join Beth, looking out at the wide expanse of forest below them. She’d been to the peak more times than she could count, but the view never failed to take her breath away. She felt small, the world infinitely vast. It was so easy to get lost in the sea of green beneath her, until the trees blurred together like a smeared canvas. Of course, whenever she came up here with Chris, he complained that there was no service for his phone, and Mike inevitably got bored and started trying to parkour off trees. Beth, though, she seemed to get it. After a few moments of silence, Beth touched Sam lightly on the wrist.

“Look at this,” she said. They both knelt to the ground, and Sam saw the twisting, viney stems of a plant close to the earth. Beth took Sam’s hand and had her extend her pointer finger. “Okay, stay still,” she said. She brushed her palm over the plant, and it slowly raised up, one tendril curling around Sam’s finger.

Something about the action felt intimate, a kind of closeness Sam hadn’t expected. It was like when Beth showed her the wall of glowing fervens — tiny, beautiful fragments of magic. She wondered how many other people Beth had shown these kinds of things to. When she lifted her gaze, Beth’s face was so close, watching Sam’s expression hopefully.

“Is that — I mean, it’s cool, right?” she said. She sounded nervous.

“So cool,” Sam agreed. Beth’s face relaxed. Sam looked back down at the little plant around her finger. “Seriously, thank you for showing me this stuff. It’s really special.”

“It’s just magic,” Beth said, but her cheeks were pink. “You’re, like, the first friend I’ve had since I was little kid. So it’s kind of nice, having someone to show this stuff to.”

The admittance brought a guilty pang to Sam’s chest, and she wondered for the millionth time in the past few weeks how different things would’ve been if she had been friends with the Washingtons in high school instead of avoiding them. How many more moments like this would they have shared?

“We should head back down,” Beth said. She ran a finger along the plant and it uncurled, sliding back onto the ground. Beth stood up and offered her hand to Sam, pulling her to her feet. “Oh! By the way,” she continued. “Josh is having some party thing on Tuesday at the apartment. You’re invited. Bring friends if you want!”

“He’s having a party on a weeknight?” Sam said. Beth shrugged.

“That’s my brother for you. His parties are usually really fun, though.”

“Right. ‘Cause of his _influence_ powers,” Sam said. Beth laughed.

“Man, you’re really hung up on that, aren’t you? Relax. Josh uses his magic responsibly. I, on the other hand, am clearly abusing my powers. Wooing pretty girls with cheap tricks.”

Sam raised her eyebrows. “You’re wooing me?”

Beth’s grin was practically devilish. “Is it working?”

Sam nudged her. “Jury’s still out.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

*~*~*

Sam decided she would go to the party, but she didn’t want to go alone, so she invited Ashley and Matt to join her. She asked Emily and Jessica, too, but Tuesdays were date nights and according to Emily, Jess got seriously pissy if they skipped it. It was okay, though; Ashley and Matt were always game for going out, and Ashley was practically gushing about finally getting to meet Beth.

“If you do anything to embarrass me, Matt is going to forcibly remove you,” Sam warned her as they climbed up the stairs to the Washingtons’ apartment at seven that evening.

Matt nodded sagely. “It’s true, she paid me and everything.”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Ashley said, waving them both away. “I would never sabotage your blossoming romance.”

“Don’t call it that,” Sam said. She knocked on the door. Hannah answered, looking eager as ever.

“Sam! You came! Come on in, you’re kinda early.” She waved to the other two. “Hi, I’m Hannah.”

Ashley and Matt introduced themselves, and then they all followed Hannah into the house. It was fairly quiet for the most part, except for some noise coming from the kitchen. Josh, Chris, and Mike were all crowded around the counter while Josh dumped what looked like melted cheese onto something in a bowl. Beth was sitting on a barstool, watching them with an amused expression.

“More people!” Hannah announced. Everyone looked up, calling out various greetings.

“What’s going on over here?” Sam asked, getting closer to the counter and frowning.

“Josh is making something gross and trying to get Chris to eat it,” Beth said. Sam pulled up a stool next to her and sat down. The bowl on the counter had what looked sort of like chilli cheese hot dogs, except they also had macaroni on them. It definitely looked gross.

“How dare you, this is a work of art,” Josh said. Chris eyed it suspiciously.

“Bro, no offense, but that does not look appetizing.”

Mike, game to eat anything, reached over and grabbed one of the hot dogs. He took a large, messy bite. “Nah man, this is actually really good,” he said.

Josh gestured to Mike, grinning. “You see? Even Mike wants to put my weiner in his mouth.”

Mike choked on his bite, nearly dropping the hot dog onto the counter. Josh and Chris both cackled. Sam rolled her eyes.

“You want one?” Josh said to her, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye. She started to shake her head, but he was already correcting himself. “No, right, you only eat rabbit food. My bad.”

“How’d you know that?” she asked. He just tapped his temple and smiled.

“Don’t worry, we have other food too,” Beth said, nodding to the kitchen table. It was stacked with snacks and booze.

“Expecting a lot of people?” Matt asked.

“That all depends on my dear brother,” Beth said. Josh gave a satisfied nod.

“Gonna be a full house. I guarantee it.”

He wasn’t wrong; within the next half hour, at least forty people showed up. Loud music played, and Sam had to admit the tight space was making her feel a little claustrophobic. She didn’t tend drink a lot, but she found herself on her fourth drink before she knew it. She usually stuck to Chris’s side during parties, seeing as he was just as awkward as she was, but someone told her they’d seen him and Josh disappear to the roof at some point, so she let them be. Eventually she lost track of Ashley and Matt as well, the throng of people filling every corner of the apartment. Plastic cup clenched in her hand, Sam weaved through the mass of people in the living room, searching for someone she knew. Instead, she found a spot in the hall where people hadn’t taken over, and took a moment to breathe.

Something fluffy brushed against her side, and she looked down to see Bartholomew the cat rubbing against her hip. She was still a little unsettled by his size, but he was really soft, and she was just drunk enough to be totally endeared by him. She dropped to the floor, petting him behind the ears.

“You made a friend,” Hannah said, appearing from the end of the hall. She walked over to where Sam sat, sliding down the wall to join her.

“Yeah, I’m kinda the person who hangs out with pets at parties,” Sam said. Hannah giggled.

“Me too.”

“How are there so many people here?” Sam asked. “I thought Josh said you guys didn’t have a lot of friends.”

“They’re not really friends,” Hannah said. “Josh goes to a lot of parties, meets other people who like going to parties, and then he invites them here. I don’t really get it, but he seems like he has fun.” She shrugged, pulling her knees up and resting her elbows on them. “He likes being around people.”

“And you don’t?” Sam said. Hannah shot her a smile.

“Not really. I’d much rather hang out with animals. They make more sense to me.” She reached over to pet Bartholomew, who purred contentedly.  

“I know what you mean,” Sam said. “Animals are way cuter than people, for a start.”

Hannah nodded, laughing again. “Totally! You’re funny, Sam. I can see why Beth likes you.”

Sam blushed, busying herself with her drink. “If you say so.”

The two girls stayed in the hall with the cat for some time, Sam enjoying the way the alcohol made everything fuzzy around the edges. Eventually, Beth found them. She looked a bit frazzled, but sober.

“Hey,” she said. “Everyone’s clearing out. Sam, your friend Ashley told me to tell you goodbye, and also to say ‘nice!’ I don’t know what that’s in reference to, she was kind of tipsy.”

Sam groaned. “Ignore her. Ugh, I guess I should get out of here too, then.” She stood up, holding out her hands when the world spun under her feet for a moment. “Whoa nelly.”

“You alright?” Beth said, barely concealing a smirk. “Had a bit too much?”

“Maybe,” Sam said. “Or maybe your house is just _super_ spinny right now.”

“Okay, that’s it, you’re staying here tonight,” Beth said decisively. “We can put an inflatable mattress in my room for you or something.”

“No, no, that’s okay, I’m fine,” Sam said hurriedly. She still felt off-kilter, but sleeping in Beth’s room was surely crossing a boundary or something. She didn’t really know. Alcohol was impairing her ability to form logical thought.

“Sam, I think Beth’s right,” Hannah said, standing up and putting a gentle hand on Sam’s shoulder. “You seem pretty out of it.”

With both of the twins looking at her so imploringly, Sam couldn’t say no. “Okay, if you’re sure it’s not a big deal,” she relented. Hannah beamed.

“Not a big deal at all! Ooh, it’s like a sleepover!”

“Han, chill,” Beth said, though she was smiling as well. “We’re all tired, and Sam’s drunk. Let’s just go to bed.”

“I’m not _drunk_ ,” Sam protested.

“Okay, fine. We’ll have a real sleepover some other time. Goodnight, then!” Hannah said. She disappeared into one of the bedrooms. Beth took Sam’s hand and led her through to her room. The fervens glowed faintly until she flicked on the light.

“Here, you can borrow some pajamas,” Beth said. She rummaged around in her dresser and emerged with a T-shirt for some band Sam hadn’t heard of and a pair of cotton shorts. She tossed them at Sam, who fumbled and missed. “Not drunk, huh?” Beth said.

“This is bullying,” Sam whined, but she picked up the clothes anyway.

“You can change in here. I’ll get the air mattress.” Beth ducked out of the room, and Sam stood there for a minute, staring sleepily at the fervens on the wall, and then she changed into the pajamas. The shirt was soft from so many wears and washes, and it smelled like tea. Beth came back into the room when Sam was sniffing the collar of the shirt, and both girls startled, blushing.

“Does it smell weird?” Beth asked. She was dragging the air mattress behind her. Sam shook her head.

“Smells fine,” she said, staring at the floor. Beth pulled the mattress all the way into the room and then threw a spare pillow and blanket from her bed onto it.

“Okay, well, I’m pooped. See ya in the morning.” She turned off the light and clambered into her bed. Sam got onto the inflatable mattress and tugged the blanket around herself. It also smelled like tea. Feeling warm and sated, Sam fell asleep almost immediately.

*~*~*

Something enormous and soft was sitting on Sam’s head. That was her first thought waking up. She tried to shift, and Bartholomew got up with a disgruntled meow. Sam brushed cat hair out of her mouth and sat up, momentarily disoriented. The room was lit only by the fervens plant and a few slivers of morning light coming through the blinds. Beth was sprawled on her stomach in her bed, still fast asleep. One arm hung off the bed, fingers slightly curled in. Her bangs hung messy in her face, and her mascara from the night before was smudged over her eyes. She looked almost painfully adorable.

Bartholomew meowed impatiently, standing by the door. Not wanting him to wake Beth prematurely, Sam clambered off the air mattress and opened the door to let the cat out. She heard another door opening at the same time, so she poked her head out. It was the bedroom she’d assumed was Josh’s, but it wasn’t Josh leaving the room. It was Chris.

He looked rather disheveled, his hair mussed and his pants undone. He was just in his binder, his shirt and shoes in his hands. When he caught sight of Sam staring at him from Beth’s doorway, his eyes widened.

“What the hell?” he whispered. Sam quickly stepped out into the hall, clicking the door shut behind her. “What are you doing here?” Chris asked. He took in her attire. “Oh my god, did you and Beth hook up last night?”

“What? No!” Sam said, scandalized. “I drank too much so the twins insisted I stay here instead of going home.” She paused, because she’d just caught sight of a very noticeable hickey, high on Chris’s neck. “But holy shit, you and Josh _definitely_ hooked up.”

“You don’t — I mean — preposterous!” Chris protested weakly. Sam raised her eyebrows and gestured to Chris’s neck. He clapped his free hand over his throat, feeling around. “Oh, crap. Is it super obvious?”

“That hickey is like a neon sign that says ‘I got laid last night,’” Sam said. Chris groaned quietly.

“I have a presentation in front of class today,” he said. “Damn it.”

“Hey, don’t freak out, I have an idea. Wait right there.” Sam slipped back into the bedroom and grabbed her purse from the floor. She came back out and pulled out the little case where she kept her makeup.

Chris frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“We have a similar skintone. I bet I could cover it up,” Sam said. “Come on, to the bathroom. I don’t wanna wake anyone.” She dragged him into the bathroom with her, shutting the door behind them and then turning to him with a grin. “Okay, permission to freak out?”

He sighed. “Go ahead.”

“ _I can’t believe you hooked up with Josh!_ ” she said, grabbing his forearm and shaking him slightly. “I mean, holy cow, Chris! How did it even happen?”

Chris looked bashful, rubbing the back of his neck. “I dunno, we were just hanging out and then he took me up to the roof with him to show me the view or whatever, and then we started kissing? And after everyone else left we went back to his room and, well, yeah.”

“Oh my god. And it’s only been, what, less than a month since you guys started talking? Damn, boy. You work fast.”

He shoved her shoulder, but he was really smiling now. “Whatever. It becomes a lot less impressive when you remember before last night it’d been like, two years since I’ve been in a relationship.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “So you’re together? All official?”

“Not exactly,” Chris said. “I mean, we haven’t talked about it yet. We’ll see.”

Sam sat Chris down on the sink’s edge so she could apply the coverup to his neck. “So were you sneaking out before I caught you? Scandalous.”

“No, Josh left like an hour ago, he had to meet his dad for his apprenticeship thing.”

“He threw a party when he knew he had an early meeting the next day?” Sam asked. Chris shrugged.

“That’s Josh.” He twisted around to look at himself in the mirror, examining the spot Sam had been working on. “Wow, nice. You can’t even see it.”

“You’re welcome,” Sam said.

Chris slid off the sink and fixed her with a stare. “So I think now it’s your turn to make a move, Sammy.”

“What do you mean?”

“With Beth!” Chris said, exasperated. “It’s time to take your relationship to the next level. Of having one. I still can’t believe you didn’t kiss her when you were hiking. That was like, _the_ moment!”

“Hey, she didn’t kiss me either,” Sam said feebly.

“She was wrapping magical plants around your finger! I think the ball was in your court, girl.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I gotta go to class. Thanks a million for helping me out.” He reached for the bathroom door, and then paused. “Oh, and can we keep this between us for now? Until Josh and I talk about it?”

“Dude, obviously,” Sam said. “My lips are sealed.”

“You’re the best. Okay, see you later.” Chris ducked out of the bathroom, leaving Sam smiling fondly after him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam can be a bit of an overprotective mama bear. This is not always a good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: smoking, mentioned homophobia, mentioned transphobia

“So who was Chris macking on last night?”

Sam stared at Jess from across the picnic table, trying to fix her face into an expression of innocent surprise. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jess smirked. “Sam. Honey. I have class with him, I saw that coverup job you did.”

“Damn it, I thought it looked okay,” Sam said. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Wait. How’d you know it was me?”

“I got you that foundation, I’d know it anywhere. Also, I’m just that good.” Jess leaned forward, elbows on the table. “So spill, Sammy. Who was it?”

“I’m not telling you,” Sam said. Jess pouted.

“But I’m your best friend!”

Sam snorted. “Chris is my best friend.”

“I’m your best lady friend?”

“That’s Emily.”

“Ugh. You’re the worst. Don’t you know I need gossip to live?” Jess flopped back against her chair. Sam just shrugged, letting her eyes wander around the small courtyard. They were waiting for Emily to meet them after she got out of class. Sam hoped Emily’s arrival would distract Jess from trying to worm answers out of her.

“Wait,” Jess said, sitting up straight again. “It was Josh Washington, wasn’t it?” She slapped the table in delight. “I called it! I’m right, aren’t I?” She started waving at someone, and Sam turned around to see Chris had just come out of the building behind them, looking a bit harried.

“Hey,” he said, spotting them.

“Chris! Come tell me about your sexcapades with Washington!” Jess called. Chris’s eyes widened and he made a frantic shushing gesture before he rushed over to their table.

“You said you weren’t gonna tell anyone,” he said to Sam, frowning. She lifted her hands in surrender.

“I didn’t! She figured it out on her own!” Sam insisted.

“Soooo,” Jess said. “Tell me! Are you guys an _item_ now?”

Chris sighed, dropping into one of the empty chairs and drumming his fingers on the tabletop. “It’s… complicated.”

“Go on.”

“Well, I talked to him after my morning class today, you know, to see where we stand. And he said, like, he didn’t want us to make anything official yet? I guess he wants to keep it kind of a secret for now.” He sighed again, not meeting either of their gazes.

“That’s kind of shitty,” Sam said, unable to control the edge in her voice. The way Chris was hunching his shoulders, the defeated tone of his voice, it stirred the protective side of her. “What did you say to that?”

“I said okay,” Chris said. “I mean, I get it. He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. I don’t want to pressure him.”

Sam thought that it sounded more like Josh was stringing Chris along, but she bit her tongue.

“Secret can be fun,” Jess said thoughtfully. “Ooh, it’s like you’re forbidden lovers.”

“It’s not anything like that,” Chris grumbled. He seemed uncomfortable, and stood up again. “Well, I need to go. _Please_ don’t go around shouting about this anymore, okay?” He glared pointedly at Jessica, who mimed zipping her lips and gave him an innocent smile. The girls watched as Chris walked away, and Sam noticed the way he rubbed self-consciously at the mark on his neck.

“You look pensive,” Jess said, poking Sam’s arm. “What’s up?”

“I just don’t know if I trust Josh,” Sam said. “Doesn’t it seem like, I don’t know, he’s dicking Chris around?”

“Mm, maybe. But maybe he has a good reason for keeping things secret. Chris would’ve said if he wasn’t okay with it, don’t you think?”

Sam wasn’t so sure that he would — back when things had gotten bad with his ex Alaina, he’d hidden it from everyone for a long time. Sam only found out because she caught him crying about it when he thought no one else was around. The thought of a repeat of those terrible times made her both queasy and a little pissed. She decided she might have to have a chat with Josh Washington.

“Wipe that frown off your face, Samantha, your queen has arrived,” Emily’s voice came from a few feet away. Sam looked up and smiled slightly. Jess squealed in delight.

“You’re finally here!” she said, making grabby hands. Emily made to sit in the seat Chris had vacated, but Jess pouted and patted her own lap. “No. This is your seat.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Emily said, rolling her eyes. But she got up and sat in Jessica’s lap anyway. Jess beamed, wrapping her arms around Emily’s middle and propping her chin on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“You smell good,” Jess informed her. Emily preened.

“Don’t I always?” she said. Then she turned to Sam. “What’s got you all grumpy, huh?”

“She’s mad that Chris has a secret romance,” Jess said conspiratorially. Emily raised her eyebrows.

“A secret romance? With who, Josh?”

“We’re not supposed to say,” Jess said. “But yes.”

“That’s not why I’m upset,” Sam insisted. “I’m not even upset! It’s —” She cut herself off, distracted when she saw Beth’s name pop up on her phone. It was a text message. 

 

> _Hey Sam! Just wanted to give you a heads up, I’m going to that expo thing so I’m going to be out of town for a few days. Sadly there will be no free chai waiting for you at Whimsy. But! We should hang out when I get back, okay? Anyway, I’ll see you soon, I hope! :)_

 

“Now you just look sad,” Jess said. “What’s wrong this time?”

“Beth’s going out of town for a few days,” Sam said, looking up from her phone. “Which I knew was happening, but now I’m kind of feeling like I missed a window or something.”

“How so?” Emily said.

“Just something Chris said to me. About the ball being in my court or whatever. I don’t want her to think I’m not interested.”

“So tell her you like her! Easy.” Jess nodded decisively.

“But…” Sam sighed, more exasperated with herself than anything. “There’s just still so much I don’t know about her. About magic and witches and everything. It makes me… nervous, I guess. Not like you’d understand, you two were best friends before you got together.”

“Well not everyone is as lucky as us,” Jess said. “But who cares? I highly doubt she has some horrible secret, like she killed a man or something. Actually, that’d be kinda hot.”

“I’d kill a man for you,” Emily said.

“I know you would, darling,” Jess said, kissing her cheek. Sam rolled her eyes, and Jess giggled. “Aw, we’re making Sammy jealous.”

“Pfft. Whatever. I’ll just talk to Beth when she gets back. You’re right, I’m just being weird,” Sam said.

“Fulfill your gay dreams!” Jess agreed. Sam laughed. She did intend to talk to Beth as soon as she returned, but in the meantime, Sam thought, she was going to have a talk with Josh.

*~*~*

She stopped by Whimsy that evening, after closing time. Taking the back stairs up to the apartment, Sam was about to go knock on the door when she remembered what Beth had told her about Josh going up on the roof a lot. She made her way up the rest of the stairwell instead, coming up on top of the flat rooftop. Sure enough, Josh was sitting on the edge across from her, legs swung over the side with his back to the stairs. As she approached him, Sam noticed that he was smoking a cigarette.

“Don’t you know those things give you cancer?” she said.

If her arrival startled him, he didn’t show it. Josh turned his head and gave her an almost lazy grin. “Why, Samantha, I didn’t know you cared.” He gestured to the spot next to him, and she sat down gingerly, crossing her legs instead of dangling them like Josh was doing.

“Seriously, you shouldn't smoke. It’s gross,” Sam told him. He chuckled, blowing a stream of smoke through his teeth.

“You sound just like my sisters,” he told her. “Don’t worry, I only smoke when I’m stressed.”

She side-eyed him. “And how often’s that?”

His smile turned a bit rueful when he said, “All the damn time.” He took another long drag from his cigarette and then turned to face her more fully. “So, what can I do you for?”

“What are your intentions with Chris?” she asked. Might as well be blunt about it.

He barked out a laugh. “My _intentions_ with him? What are you, his overprotective parent? You gonna start interrogating me while cleaning a shotgun or something?”

“Ha-ha. I’m serious. Are you planning on leading him on? Because I’m not okay with that. He deserves better.”

Josh didn’t respond right away. He turned back to stare out at the city, and Sam followed his gaze. The lights from below twinkled like a reflection of the sky. Josh was silent for so long, Sam was starting to think maybe she’d pushed too far and he was pissed. Then he said, “Do you know why me and my sisters live above the shop?”

“Um,” she said. “Is that… relevant?”

“I have a point, I swear,” he said. “When Beth was thirteen, she came out to me. And she asked me to teach her how to hide it from my dad.”

“Hide it?”

“Yeah. You know how my dad’s got people magic, like me? It means he’d be able to tell, even if she didn’t say anything to him. But people magic also means you can block _other_ people with that power. So, I kinda helped her learn how to do it.”

“I didn’t know that was possible,” Sam said.

Josh nodded. “Yeah, it won’t be as strong but it’s a thing. Like, my mom is teaching Hannah some fire powers right now. Anyway, I showed Beth how to block my dad, but since it wasn’t her natural power, she wasn’t perfect at it. He could always tell she was hiding something, he just didn’t know what. So then like, a few months ago, she decided she didn’t want to hide anymore. So she told our parents.” He grimaced. “It didn’t go over well. I think they almost kicked her out — I know it crossed my dad’s mind. But then Hannah and I had the idea of the cafe, how we could live here. They’d already been planning on setting it up for us as a place to work, make some extra money. It wasn’t hard to convince them to let us live here, too.”

“Wow,” Sam said. “I had no idea… Beth never told me.” A lot of Beth’s actions over the past few weeks were starting to make a lot more sense. “But what does that have to do with Chris?”

“I’m getting there,” he said. “I’ve been blocking my dad about my sexuality since I was about fifteen. He has no clue. I’m his perfect little golden boy, you know? He wants me to follow in his footsteps, be on the Magical Board.” Josh’s bitter tone reminded Sam all too much of Beth.

“I’m guessing you don’t want that,” Sam said.

“Hell no. I want to make movies. But apparently I have to _earn_ that by doing something more important first. Whatever. Point is, I haven’t told him I’m gay. And I can tell you right now it’s not going to be pretty if I do.” He sucked on his cigarette, clearly angry. “It’s a bullshit situation. But if I was going to be with Chris, like for real. I’d want to be out.”

Sam nodded. “I get that.” She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, debating. “But… I still think it’s unfair to Chris. To just leave him hanging while you make up your mind what you’re going to do. He’s been through enough.”

“What’s that mean?” Josh said, a tinge of worry in his voice now.

“Has Chris told you anything about his ex? Alaina?” Sam asked. He shook his head.

“I mean, he mentioned her, but I don’t know what happened between them.”

“I’m surprised you just didn’t do your little mind-reading trick to find out.” That came out cattier than she intended.

“I wanted to respect his privacy,” Josh said. A smile played on his lips. “Wow, you _really_ don’t like my powers, do you?”

“I didn’t say that,” she said.

“You don’t trust me,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

“And you know that because you’re using your powers,” she pointed out. He tilted his head, conceding.

“Okay, fair enough. No more poking around in your head, I promise.”

She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she pressed on. “Anyway, so about Alaina. Chris was dating her like, two-ish years ago. Right around the time he started his transition. And she was just… she was awful about it. She said so many hurtful things to him, made him feel so shitty about himself. It took him a long time to recover. I never want to see him hurting like that again. He deserves someone who is going to treat him with respect.” Sam fixed Josh with a hard stare. “Someone who won’t string him along.”

Josh didn’t meet her gaze. Once again, a long silence stretched between them. “I understand,” he said finally. He cut his eyes to her, huffing out a quiet laugh. “You know, you’re a lot different than I thought you were in high school.”

“Yeah?” she said. “I guess you are, too.”

He nodded, stubbing his cigarette out on the ground next to him. “Well. You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about, Sam.”

“Chris is my best friend,” she said. “I just want what’s best for him.”

“I get it,” he said. “Really, I do. And I don’t want to hurt him.” He got to his feet, and helped her stand as well. “I think I’m gonna go inside soon,” he told her. “So uh, goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” she said. She’d rarely seen Josh look so uncertain. It made him a little less threatening in her mind. When she left, he was still standing on the roof, looking out at the city lights.

*~*~*

The next few days passed in a flurry of studying and cramming for final exams before winter break. Sam barely had time to think about her conversation with Josh on the rooftop, or about her intention to tell Beth how she felt. That’s why she was surprised when she got a text from Beth one afternoon, only two days before break started.  

 

> _Hey Sam! What’s crack-a-lackin?_
> 
> _Please pretend I didn’t say that actually._
> 
> _Anyway! I just got home from the expo (finally) and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight? I have a present for you. ;)_

 

Sam smiled, quickly responding. _A present? Well shoot, now I HAVE to. I’d love to see you!! I’ll swing by the cafe tonight, ok?_

Beth’s texts put her in a good mood for the rest of the afternoon. She was smiling goofily by the time Jessica met her at their usual picnic bench to wait for Emily.

“Don’t you look cheery,” Jess said. “I’m guessing Beth’s back in town?”

“We’re hanging out tonight,” Sam said. “I think I’m gonna tell her how I feel. Maybe I’ll even kiss her. I’m feeling daring.”

Jess beamed. “Hell. Yes. No more sad single Sammy! I love it.” She pointed over Sam’s shoulder. “Hey look, it’s Chris again. He looks kinda cranky.”

Sam turned to find that Chris was approaching their table, and he _did_ look unhappy. When he reached them, he aimed his frown at Sam and said, “Can I talk to you? Alone?”

“Uh,” Sam said, glancing back at Jess. Jess shrugged. “Yeah, okay.” She got up followed him into one of the nearby buildings, where they ducked into an empty corridor. “What —” Sam began, but Chris cut her off.

“So Josh told me you two had a little chat,” he said, thinly concealed rage in his voice.

“Oh,” Sam said. “Well, yeah.”

“What the _fuck_ is your problem, Sam?” he demanded. She was affronted. “You asked him what his _intentions_ were? Why would you do that?”

“Because I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to be shitty to you!” she exclaimed.

“Josh told me that he can’t see me for a while,” Chris said. He swallowed roughly. “Everything was fine before, we were fine! More than fine, actually. And then you had to butt in and mess everything up!”

“I was looking out for you,” Sam said. “Chris, I’m sorry that Josh reacted that way, but I never intended —”

“It wasn’t your business. I knew about Josh’s dad, I knew why he was waiting! And you got all up on him for it for no reason and freaked him out.”

“Well, I didn’t know!”

“Yeah, because you didn’t need to know. And then you told him about _Alaina_?” Chris continued. He looked really angry now. “I wasn’t ready for him to know about that. I can’t believe you told him!”

“I just wanted him to know not to mess with you,” Sam felt suddenly unsure. “I didn’t want to see you get walked all over.”

“What, like I did with Alaina?” he asked coldly.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you were thinking it.” He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up wildly. “I’m not a child, Sam. And you’re not my mother. I can take care of myself, I can make my own decisions. And this? This is so completely not okay. I can’t even — I can’t even talk to you right now.” He shook his head a few times. “Just stay away from me for a while.”

“Chris,” Sam said desperately. He pushed past her, hands shoved into his pockets, and stormed out of the building. Sam stood there for a moment, stunned, before she hurried out after him. He was nowhere to be seen, but Jess was still sitting at the picnic table. She looked surprised.

“Chris just came out of there totally hulking out,” she said. “What did you say to him?”

“I…” Sam shook her head and dropped into the seat next to Jess. “I fucked up.”

She relayed her conversation with Chris to Jessica, which meant she also had to tell her about the conversation with Josh. By the time she was done, Jess was staring at her with eyes as round as saucers.

“Oh honey,” she said. “You _did_ fuck up. Like, big time.”

“That helps a lot, Jess, thanks,” Sam deadpanned.

“Sorry, I’m just saying. Oof.” Jess reached over and patted Sam’s hand sympathetically. “It’s okay, though. He’ll get over it, right?”

“Maybe,” Sam said. “Ugh. Do you think I should go talk to Josh? Tell him to just forget everything I said and make up with Chris?”

“Uh, no, you absolutely should _not_ do that,” Jess said. “Meddling is what got you into this mess, Sam!”

“Okay, but —”

“Sam. No.”

Sam hung her head. “I suck.”

“You don’t suck. C’mon, it’s Chris. He’s never mad for long. This’ll blow over by like, tonight. I bet you anything.”

“I hope you’re right,” Sam said, without much conviction.

*~*~*

She didn’t go to Whimsy that night. The thought of running into Josh was too stressful at the moment. After shooting Beth a quick, apologetic text asking for a rain check, she curled up in her bed and waited for Chris to call her and say everything was okay.

He didn’t call.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter break comes and goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL HOWDY it's been an age and a half, huh? i got super distracted with finals and graduation (i'm a college grad now wahoo) but now i am BACK IN BUSINESS. i hope this chapter was somewhat worth the wait. i'll try to get back to my regular updating speed from now on!!!! we still have quite a few chapters left i think?? definitely 3 or 4 more. 
> 
> warnings for mentions of homophobia

Winter break began, and Fairton grew quiet. All the out-of-state students went back home, and the residents burrowed away in their houses in front of fireplaces. Sam sulked. Chris still wasn’t talking to her. She’d called him a few times, but her calls went automatically to voicemail, which meant he was actively denying them. She didn’t know who to talk to about this — Emily would just chew her out, Mike was too emotionally immature to have any worthwhile advice. She thought about talking to Beth, but she’d been avoiding Whimsy in case Josh was working. Sam marveled how everything had fallen to shit so quickly.

One day, she was sitting on her bedroom floor at home, reading a book but not really retaining any of the words. Her mother knocked on the door, poking her head in.

“Sam, honey? You have a visitor.” Her mom was making a weird face, smiling but with widened eyes. Sam’s heart leapt, hoping maybe it was Chris, but when her mother stepped back, it wasn’t Chris standing in the doorway. It was Beth Washington.

The very same Beth Washington she’d been kind of totally blowing off for the past two weeks. Sam flushed with shame, but tried to look pleasantly surprised. “Oh, hi.”

“Hey,” Beth said, tone casual. Sam’s mom made the weird face again over Beth’s shoulder before she disappeared back downstairs. Beth came into Sam’s room and shut the door. “Long time no see,” she said.

“Beth, I’m so sorry,” Sam said immediately, getting to her feet. “Chris and I had this huge fight, and Josh was involved, and I just —”

“I know,” Beth said, holding up a hand. “Josh told me everything. Including how he told you about my parents.” She smiled ruefully. “Sounds like you and my brother both like to overshare.”

Sam winced. “I never should’ve said anything to him.”

“Probably not your smartest move, yeah,” Beth agreed. “But everyone makes mistakes. I get it.” She paused, as though searching for the right words. “What I don’t get is why you’ve been avoiding me. I… well, honestly, I kind of thought we had something. Or could’ve had something. I don’t know.”

“We do!” Sam said quickly. “I mean, I want us to, anyway. I really like you.” Her cheeks burned when she said it, and Beth smiled slightly, staring at the floor.

“I have something for you,” Beth said. She reached into the pocket of the purse she had over one shoulder and revealed a tiny potted plant. Sam recognized it instantly as a piece of the fervens. “One of the leftover ones from the expo. I was going to give it to you the other day.”

“Oh wow,” Sam said, taking the pot from Beth and holding it gingerly, like it was something fragile and precious. It wasn’t glowing in the light of Sam’s room, but it felt warm, alive in a way that Sam hadn’t felt a plant be before. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Beth said, shrugging. “Can we sit?” Sam nodded, and both girls sat on the bed. Sam still cupped the plant in her hands. “So here’s the thing,” Beth said. “I really like you, too, Sam. I think that’s pretty obvious. But, um, when you started avoiding me, it hurt my feelings. I know you were upset about what happened with Chris and Josh, but you should’ve said something to me. I don’t have a lot of friends,” she added, twisting her fingers in her lap. “It’s not always easy for me to trust people. But I trusted you. And I think I need a little time to build that trust again. Okay?” She didn’t look up, staring determinedly at her hands.

Sam’s stomach was in knots, but she nodded anyway. “I understand.” Because how could she not? How could she begrudge Beth for not trusting her, when she had spent weeks not making a move because she didn’t trust Beth?

“You sound sad,” Beth said, bumping their shoulders together. “Don’t be. I’m basically saying we need to spend more time together.”

“Oh, see, I thought you were saying I’m a trust-ruining jerk,” Sam said, smiling wryly. “My bad.”

“Self deprecation! What is this? You really are like my brother,” Beth said. Sam narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to compare the girl you’re trying to woo to your brother,” she said. Beth laughed, and the sound was so genuine and affectionate that Sam felt the knots in her stomach loosen somewhat. They were okay. She hadn’t completely ruined her chances.

“Hey,” Beth said, when she’d finished laughing. “Go easy on Josh, okay? He really, really wants you to like him. Not that he’d ever admit it, because that would ruin his cool, aloof exterior.”

“Wait, seriously?” Sam said. “Well… yeah, okay, I’ve been unfair.”

“He said you really got your claws out when you were interrogating him,” Beth said. “Chris is lucky to have a best friend who cares so much.”

“Sure,” Sam said. “A best friend who cares so much she ruins their friendship forever. Real lucky.”

Beth opened her mouth, seemed to think better of it, and then settled for patting Sam on the shoulder. “It’ll be alright,” she said. “Anyway, here’s a proposition for you: I brought over _Little Miss Sunshine._ Have you seen it?”

“Not in years,” Sam said.

“Okay, we’re going to rectify that immediately. You in?” Beth pulled the DVD case out of her bag and wiggled it in Sam’s face. Sam smiled, pushing the box aside.

“Definitely.”

They popped the movie into Sam’s laptop and settled onto the bed, side-by-side on their stomachs. Beth rested her head on her crossed arms, and Sam followed suit. She found it pretty much impossible to watch the movie with Beth pressed up against her, though. About halfway through, she gave up even pretending to pay attention, settling for side-eyeing Beth instead. Sam noticed a lot of details this way. For example, Beth got these little crinkles by her eyes when she smiled, and she had three freckles trailing one cheek. She was, essentially, mesmerizing.

“Hey,” Beth whispered, and Sam realized Beth was looking at her now, too. “You’re not watching the movie.”

“I’m totally watching the movie,” Sam said. Beth’s lip curled in a smug almost-smile. They were so close, it would be easy to just lean forward and kiss her. Sam’s gaze dropped to Beth’s mouth.

“This is a really good part,” Beth said, voice so soft and low that it made Sam shiver.

“Oh well,” Sam said.

Beth chuckled, turning back to the screen. “Watch the movie, Sam.”

 

After the movie was over, the girls decided that Beth would join Sam on her jog the next day, and then Beth went home. Sam had barely closed the door behind her friend when Sam’s mother was standing in front of her with an expectant look on her face.

“What?” Sam asked warily.

“When were you going to tell me you knew _Beth Washington_?” her mother said, looking far too eager. “Has she shown you her magic? What’s it like?”

“Mom, relax,” Sam said. “Here, she gave me something today, it’s magic. I’ll show you.”

They went up to Sam’s room, and Sam showed her the fervens. It wasn’t very impressive in the light, so she stuck it under a blanket so her mom could see.

“Oh my,” Sam’s mother said. “That’s lovely, Sam. But you just be careful, okay? I dated a witch in college, he had fire powers and, well, he couldn’t always control them. He had some close calls.”

“I’m sure Beth isn’t going to accidentally strangle me with a vine or something, mom,” Sam said, rolling her eyes. Then she frowned. “And we aren’t dating.”

“Oh,” Sam’s mom said. “I thought she was the girl Chris told me about.” Then she made an uncomfortable face and stopped talking.

Sam’s stomach twisted. “You talked to Chris? When? What did he say?”

“I saw him at the grocery store yesterday, he just said hello. Asked how you were doing, and he mentioned something about a girl you liked.” She put a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to upset you by bringing him up. He still hasn’t reached out to you?”

“No,” Sam said, shrugging out of her mother’s grasp. “It’s fine. I think… I think I’m going to go for a run or something.” She stood up.

“Sam, it’s snowing,” her mother said. “I’d really rather you didn’t, you’ll catch your death out there.”

“I’ll go to the student gym, then,” Sam said. She knew her mother was well-intentioned, but Sam kind of wished she hadn’t mentioned Chris at all.

When Sam got to the gym, it was fairly empty. She changed into her running shorts and tank top, and was walking to the treadmills when she spotted someone familiar in one of the basketball courts. It was Matt, shooting hoops by himself. Sam poked her head in the doorway.

“Hey Matt!”

He turned, fumbling his shot and sending the basketball bouncing across the floor. “Oh, hey Sam,” he said.

“What’re you doing here?” Sam asked. “I thought you went home for break.”

“I did,” he said. “Came back a little early, though. Only so much family time I can take.” He bent to pick up the basketball and held it out to her. “Wanna shoot some hoops?”

“Sure,” she said, joining him on the court. He passed the ball to her and she took a shot, missing the net by a wide margin. Matt was clearly trying not to laugh. “Okay, okay, not everyone can be a sports superstar,” she said, grabbing the ball and throwing it at him. He caught it easily, smirking.

“You sound butthurt, Sam. Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s a kid-sized net around here somewhere we could use.”

They passed the ball back and forth for a while, Matt getting nothing but net time and time again, while Sam managed a decent fifty percent success rate. Soon they were both sweaty and a little worn out, and Sam was feeling much better.

“So how’s things with your girlfriend?” Matt asked. He had a weirdly knowing look on his face.

“We’re not dating yet,” Sam insisted. “And I just saw her today, actually. She’s good. Not completely furious at me for bailing on her and being rude to her brother.”

Matt nodded, passing the ball from hand to hand. “She bring you a nice present?” he asked. Sam narrowed her eyes at him.

“What do you know?” she asked, suspicious. “Why are you being weird?”

“I may or may not have stopped by Whimsy Cafe before break and suggested to a certain magical lesbian that she bring you a cool magic plant. You know, to woo you.”

“Matt!” Sam exclaimed. “I’d expect this behavior from Ashley, but you? I can’t believe this. It’s like I don’t even know you.”

“Well sorry, but you were taking _way_ too long. I figured I should intervene before Ashley did, she’d end up doing something really over-the-top.” Matt spun the ball on his finger before tossing it to Sam. She resisted the urge to throw it at his head.

“Take it from me, Matt, meddling in your friends’ love lives is a recipe for disaster,” she said. Matt’s smile faded.

“You are Chris still fighting?” he said.

“ _I’m_ not fighting. I’ve called him a million times to apologize, but he’s been ignoring me. He can be such a stubborn jerk.” She sighed. “I mean, I know I was the jerk first, but come on.”

“My advice? Leave him alone,” Matt said. “School starts next week, right? So you’re bound to run into each other then. Give him the space he needs, and when you see each other face-to-face you’ll work everything out.”

“You think so?” Sam asked. Matt nodded.

“It’ll be okay, Sam. And if he’s still not talking to you by next week, let me know. I’ll bully him into talking to you or something.”

Sam laughed at that. “You couldn’t bully someone if you tried.”

“I could too! I can be mean, you don’t even know,” he protested. When she remained unconvinced, he darted forward and smacked the basketball out of her hands, swooping it over her head and into the net before she could even react. “See? Mean.”

By the time Sam left the gym, she felt a lot better. Matt had that effect on people.

*~*~*

Jogging with Beth the next day was… fun, but awkward, too. They were both being more careful with each other, their conversation casual and almost stilted. There were no plants wrapped around fingers, no lingering touches. The only truly reassuring part of it all was that Beth seemed eager to continue hanging out, and they ended up going jogging a few more times that week. It wasn’t the romance Sam had been hoping for, but it was a start.

Two days before classes were due to start, Fairton was filling back up again. The streets were crowded with college students, bustling to pick up last-minute school supplies and meeting with friends they’d missed over break. Sam was in dire need of some caffeine. She thought longingly of the chai lattes at Whimsy, but she opted for Starbucks instead. Their chai paled in comparison to Beth’s, but Sam was not in the mood to try and figure out how to interact with Josh Washington. Mediocre tea would have to do.

Starbucks was crowded as always, and Sam had to nudge past people to get her drink from the counter when her name was called. As she turned around to scan for a seat, her eyes fell on someone rather unexpected. It was Josh, clutching a to-go cup of coffee and looking worn, brooding. Sam quickly looked away, a panicked flush spreading across her cheeks. _Please don’t see me, please don’t see me, please don’t —_

“Sam?”

_Shit._ “Oh, uh, hey. Didn’t see you there.” She looked up guiltily at Josh, who had made his way over to her and was smiling slightly. His eyes were tired and stormy.

“Sure,” he said.

“What’re you doing here, anyway?” Sam asked. “Isn’t it kind of bad for business for you to be at your competitor’s establishment?”

He chuckled. “Probably. But I gotta get my fix somehow, and Whimsy’s not open.”

Sam frowned. “What? Why isn’t it open?”

“It hasn’t been open for a few days,” Josh said. “I guess you haven’t been there in a while, so you didn’t know.”

“What happened? Is everything okay?” Sam pressed. Josh’s exhausted features had her worried now. Why hadn’t Beth said anything about the cafe being closed?

“Well,” Josh started, and then he paused. “Do you mind if we sit?” He gestured to a table that had just opened up. Sam agreed, and they hurried over to snag it before someone else did. After they sat down, Josh stared into his drink for a moment. “So I came out to my parents,” he said.

“Oh,” Sam said. She wasn’t sure how to respond. “How’d… how’d it go?”

“As well as I expected,” he said. He looked up, mouth twisting into a grimace. “So, you know, shitty. Dad’s pissed at me. I lost my apprenticeship, which I didn’t think I would care about, but apparently I do. I kind of had a meltdown, so we closed up shop for a few days.” He shrugged. “Life goes on.”

“I’m so, so sorry,” Sam said. She felt a sudden surge of affection for Josh, and she wanted to give him a hug or something. He just looked so sad. And he seemed more genuine than ever — maybe he was finally letting down his guard, letting her see him without his magic cloaking his true feelings.

“It’s okay,” Josh said. “Seriously. I mean, it sucked, but I’m glad I did it. You know how hard it was, keeping that hidden all those years? The physical strain from constantly having that block up against my dad… it’s nice to be done with it. I kinda feel like I should thank you.”

“Me?” Sam said, eyes widening. “For what, being a jerk to you?”

“For giving me the push I needed,” he said. His smile returned, and he reached over to pat her hand. “I mean, you probably could’ve worked on your delivery, but it helped. I’m gonna go see Chris later,” he added. “And we’re going to talk. And hopefully, I’ll be his boyfriend. If he’ll have me.”

“Oh my god, of course he will,” Sam said. “He’s crazy about you. He’ll be so happy.” She sighed. “Um, maybe you can pass on a message, since he doesn’t seem to want to hear it from me.” Josh raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Just tell him I’m sorry? That I never meant for things to happen the way they did and, and that I miss him a lot.” She picked at the cardboard sleeve on her cup, willing herself to keep a neutral face.

“I’ll tell him,” Josh promised. “I’m sorry you’re fighting. I know it’s sort of my fault.”

“It’s definitely my fault,” Sam said. “Josh, I’m sorry for what I said that night. It wasn’t my business, and I shouldn’t have assumed you’re some kind of asshole. You actually seem like a cool guy.”

Josh beamed. “You’re not too bad yourself, Samantha. When you’re not yelling at me, that is.”

“I didn’t _yell,_ ” she said, but a smile was forming on her face as well. Beth must’ve been telling the truth when she said Josh had been anxious for her approval, because he seemed suddenly much happier than before. “Seriously, Josh. I hope we can put all that shit behind us. I’d like for us to be friends.”

He nodded. “I’d like that, too. Yeah, totally.” His expression grew serious. “Okay, before we get too buddy-buddy, though, there’s something I have to say.”

Sam was wary, but she shrugged. “Alright, shoot.”

“You said your piece before, about Chris, so now it’s my turn.” His gaze was quite intense, eyes big and serious, and she couldn’t look away. “My sister is a very good person. Anyone would be lucky to have her. Don’t fuck it up.”

“I’ll try not to,” she promised.

He leaned back in his chair again, his casual demeanor returning. “I know,” he said. “Just had to do my duty as a big brother. You better not tell her I did that, though.”

Sam laughed. She was quickly realizing that what Beth had said to her the other day was true — she and Josh _were_ a lot alike. “My lips are sealed,” she promised.

“Atta girl,” Josh said. He stood up. “Well, I’m off to woo a certain blonde nerd.”

“Good luck,” Sam said.

Josh gave her a salute. “You too,” he replied. “You’re probably gonna need it.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whimsy Cafe reopens and everyone is really gay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOOD GOLLY has it ever been a while. I'm soooo sorry, I have no excuses except that real life got a bit overwhelming for a few months. But! I have returned and hopefully will be finishing up the last few chapters of this fic in a more timely manner. I'm feeling 2 or 3 more, probably? We'll see what happens. Anyway! Hope you enjoy this one, even if it's a bit on the shorter side!!!

The first day of classes, it was brisk and windy. Sam was bundled up, a thick fluffy scarf around her neck. She tucked in her chin so she could stick her nose under the folds of the scarf, shivering and hugging her arms. She was so preoccupied with keeping warm as she walked that she didn’t realize she was about to walk into someone until they said, “Whoa, watch out!” and grabbed her shoulders to stop her.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, lifting her head. It was Chris, wearing his big dumb coat with the fluffy hood pulled up, his expression bashful. His hands were still on her shoulders.

“You gotta watch where you’re going there, Sammy,” he said, staring at her scarf instead of meeting her eyes.

“Chris —” she began.

“Are you busy right now?” he interjected. “I have like twenty minutes before my next class, so… if you’re free, can we talk inside?” He nodded to the building to their left.

“I’ve got time,” she said. He smiled slightly and patted her shoulders before letting go, leading the way into the building. It was much warmer inside, and Chris flipped his hood back, rubbing the back of his neck.

“So,” he said. “Um, hi.”

“Chris, listen, I am so sorry for everything that happened,” Sam said quickly. “I was wrong, I was totally out of line, and you had every right to be angry with me.”

“Yeah,” Chris said, nodding slowly. “It is possible, though, that I overreacted. Just a little.” He smiled again, still looking sheepish. “Also, um, update. Josh and I are, like, together now. Officially.”

“That’s so great,” Sam said, and she meant it. “He really likes you. And honestly, he seems like a nice person. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Chris said. He was blushing now. “Hey, so… I’m sorry I avoided you all break. It was stupid. I missed you a lot.”

“I missed you too. You’re such a stubborn asshole sometimes, you know that?” she said, no malice in her tone.

He laughed. “Yeah. Sorry about that, too.” They stood awkwardly looking at each other before Chris finally said, “Hug it out?”

“Come here, you big dummy,” Sam said, and Chris grabbed her in a hug that lifted her off her feet. She let out a surprised laugh, flailing a bit before he put her down. They were both grinning now.

“So we’re good?” Chris asked. Sam nodded.

“Definitely.” She pulled out her phone and checked the time. “Oh shit, but now I’ve gotta run to class. Let’s catch up for real this afternoon, okay? I love you! Bye!” She sprinted off in the direction of her class, leaving Chris still smiling bemusedly in her wake.

*~*~*

Sam was just getting out of her last class when Hannah texted her.  

> _Hi Sam!!!!! It’s Hannah Washington. I got your number from Beth, I hope that’s okay!!_
> 
> _I am texting to announce the GRAND REOPENING OF WHIMSY CAFE, tomorrow at 10am sharp_
> 
> _We wanted to do a little celebration beforehand though, so you and Chris and all the rest are invited at 9am for free drinks and food!! You in?_

Sam shook her head fondly. If the Washingtons weren’t so absurdly rich, she’d worry they were going to run themselves out of business with all the free shit they kept giving her and her friends. _A college student never says no to free food. Or spending time with the coolest kids in town_ , she texted back. _I’ll see you then!_

_YAY!!!!!!_ Hannah responded. Sam chuckled, forwarding the messages along to the rest of her friends to let them know.

The next day, everyone congregated outside the front of Whimsy around nine, as instructed. Hannah had told them that Josh would be inside, and they should just knock on the door and he’d let them in. Sam and Matt were the first two to arrive, and they shuffled around outside to keep warm while they waited. Ashley arrived soon after, a half-asleep Chris in tow. Jess and Emily showed up clutching giant travel cups of coffee. Sam gave them a bemused look.

“Oh believe me, I’ll be drinking more when we get inside,” Emily said. “Mama needs a _lot_ of caffeine.”

Mike was the last to show. He at least had the decency to look apologetic for keeping them all waiting. When Chris made to knock on the door, a voice from inside called, “It’s open!”

The group hurried in from the cold. The cafe was already warm, the smell of steamed milk and chocolate rich in the air. Josh was sitting on top of the counter, grinning at all of them. He looked better than the last time Sam had seen him, the tired sadness less prominent behind his eyes.

Emily scowled at Josh, setting her coffee on a table and sticking her hands in her armpits in an attempt to warm them up. “You knew we were outside the whole time? Why didn’t you let us in before?”

“Because,” Josh said, still grinning. “I only wanted to do this once.” He snapped his fingers, and fairy lights that had been strung around the ceiling came on at the same time as a gentle electronic tune started to play through the speakers. Everyone gaped at him.

“How did you do that?” Mike demanded.

Josh just wiggled his fingers and said “Maaaagic,” in a sing-song voice. “Make yourselves at home, the twins will be down in a couple minutes.”

Everyone spread out, dumping their jackets on various tables and backs of chairs, and Sam made her way over to Josh, leaning against the counter next to him. “So was that really magic just now?” she asked in a low voice.

He gave her a sidelong glance, and bumped her with his elbow. “Nah, I just had ‘em hooked up to a switch under the counter,” he said, snickering. “Mike’s face was too good though, right?”

“You’re devious,” Sam said, unable to keep herself from grinning as well.

“Are you two being nice over here?” Chris said, coming up to stand before them with his arms crossed. Josh and Sam exchanged glances.

“We were just making fun of Mike,” Sam said.

Chris pressed a hand to his chest. “Without me? I’m hurt.” He sidled up to Josh’s other side, and Josh hooked an arm around his waist.

Sam pushed herself away from the counter. “Okay, I’ll leave you two to be cute in peace.”

“Don’t worry, Sammy, you can go be cute with someone else,” Chris said, pointing. Hannah and Beth had just entered the cafe, and Sam’s heart fluttered at the sight of Beth, bundled in a navy peacoat and a red knitted cap with a little pom-pom on top.

“Sam!” Beth said, catching her eye and waving. The two girls met in the middle of the shop, and Beth grabbed Sam’s hands before letting go quickly. “Oh man, sorry. My hands are super cold right now. Anyway. Hi.”

“Hi,” Sam said. God, was she ever blushing. And she had the distinct feeling everyone else was staring at them, waiting for something to happen.

Luckily, Beth seemed to know just what to do to stop the gawking. She rubbed her hands together and said, “Who wants food?” The resulting scramble to get to the counter left Sam a bit ruffled, but at least she was out of the spotlight.

It was the first time Sam had seen all three Washington siblings working at the same time. It was an organized chaos; handing things off to each other without even needing to ask, shuffling around the cramped space but never once running into each other. Sometimes, there was a weird spark or a puff of smoke, and Sam could only wonder if it was actually magic or just for show. Judging by the look on Josh’s face, it was a fifty-fifty chance either way.

After coffees and teas and baked goods had been dispersed, everyone was milling about chatting and Sam found Beth sitting on a tabletop in the corner. She gestured to the table and said, “Mind if I join you?” Beth shook her head, patting the space beside her, and Sam sat down.

“It’s good to be back in business,” Beth said, looking around. “It was a rough couple of days there. Worst I’ve seen Josh in a while.” She sighed, shooting Sam an apologetic smile. “God, sorry. Today’s supposed to be about celebrating new beginnings and shit.”

“No, it’s okay,” Sam said quickly. “I’m glad you guys are up and running again, too.” She looked across the room at Chris and Josh, who were both laughing at some shared private joke. They looked really happy, Josh’s fingers brushing Chris’s arm, bodies close and comfortable.

“Look at those two,” Beth said, as if reading her mind. “Sickeningly cute.”

“Oh, for sure,” Sam agreed. They shared an amused smile. Beth’s hand inched closer to Sam’s on the table, but maybe she was just adjusting herself. Nevertheless, Sam felt compelled to place her hand over Beth’s.

Beth’s eyes widened a little in surprise, but she made no move to take back her hand. “What’re you doing?”

“You said earlier that your hands were cold. I’m just warming them up,” Sam said innocently. Beth shifted her hand, flipping it over to lace their fingers together. She squeezed lightly, and Sam felt a warm flush creep over her entire body.

The cafe was flooded with a golden light from the morning sun filtering through the blinds, and soft chatter and laughter filled the room. Beth pressed against Sam’s side, shoulders touching, and her hair brushed Sam’s cheek when she tilted her head to murmur in Sam’s ear, “I’m really glad you’re here.”

It took Sam a full five seconds before she could process enough to respond with a fumbling, “Um, yeah, me too.”

Beth smirked, and her mouth was so close Sam could practically feel her smile against her ear. “Why Samantha, I believe you’re blushing.”

“What happened to taking it slow?” Sam asked, eyes trained determinedly on the opposite wall.

“I’m just making an observation,” Beth said.

Sam had just worked up the courage to turn and kiss her when Josh called from the counter, “Yo, Bethany! Quit being gay for a second, I need your help fixing the espresso machine!”

Beth groaned. “Why do I have to do everything around here?” she demanded. She gave Sam’s hand a final squeeze before she hopped off the table, giving her an apologetic smile. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

“I’ll be here,” Sam said. She kind of wanted to kick Josh’s ass, but she settled for shooting him an annoyed glare from across the room. He returned it with a knowing smirk. Wiseass.

A moment later, Hannah bounced over and took Beth’s vacated spot on the table. “Hiya, Sam!” she said. “How’s it going?”

Sam tore her eyes away from Beth, who was banging on the espresso machine and frowning while Josh poked her unhelpfully. “It’s going fine,” she said, smiling. Hannah had a way of making Sam feel instantly relaxed. She was just so cheerful. “How’re you doing? This isn’t too much of a party for you, right?”

Hannah shook her head. “No, this is actually fun. It’s not just a bunch of random people like when Josh has parties. I like your friends.”

“They’re your friends now too, you know,” Sam said. Hannah giggled, looking bashful, and Sam nudged her playfully. “What’s that face for?” she asked.

“I’m not making a face!” Hannah insisted, even though she totally was. Then she said, “Um, so tell me about Mike.”

“Mike?” Sam said, a little surprised. “Well, okay. What do you want to know?”

“Just, what’s he like? He seems really cool.” Hannah’s cheeks turned an even darker shade of pink as she spoke, and _oh_ , Sam got it.

“He is cool,” she said. “I mean, he’s kind of a shit sometimes, but he’s always been a good friend.”

“He’s so funny,” Hannah said. “I was talking to him earlier. Do you know if he’s, you know, seeing anyone?”

Sam wasn’t sure, actually. Mike was notoriously a serial dater, and she’d long since given up trying to keep track of his relationship status. He always told her if he was seeing a girl for longer than a couple of dates. She shrugged. “I have no idea. Last I remember, he was single.” She suddenly felt the urge to protect Hannah. Mike was her friend, but she just couldn’t picture sweet, open-hearted Hannah Washington next to Mike and his smarminess. “Listen, Hannah. Like I said, Mike’s a good guy, but… he doesn’t have a stellar track record when it comes to dating. Do you get what I’m saying?”

“Oh, sure,” Hannah said quickly. “I mean, it’s not like I’m _interested_ or anything. I was just curious about him. As a friend.” She was thoroughly unconvincing, but Sam decided to drop it for the time being. “Oh! Want to see something cool?” Hannah added, sitting up straighter.

“Of course,” Sam said.

“Okay, I’ve been practicing this.” Hannah wrinkled her nose in concentration, and then rubbed her index finger and thumb together. A spark, and then a small flame flickered in between her fingers.

“Whoa,” Sam breathed. “That’s… wow. Does it hurt?”

“Not me,” Hannah said. “But it’s real fire, so you shouldn’t touch it.” She opened her hand, and the fire vanished. “My mom’s been teaching me. Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah,” Sam said. She couldn’t help thinking of what her mother had said to her, about the witch she’d met with fire magic who’d had “close calls.” But then again, this was Hannah. She could make even flames seem safe.

Sam and Beth didn’t get another moment alone, much to Sam’s frustration. All too soon, it was time for everyone to clear out so that the cafe could open up for real. Sam had to get to class anyway. Before she left, Beth pressed a to-go cup of chai into her hands.

“I’ve already had like four of these today,” Sam said. “Weren’t you the one trying to stop me from over-caffeinating myself?”

Beth chuckled. “So much for being the responsible one,” she said.

“At least let me pay for this one,” Sam said, but Beth shook her head insistently. “Beth, seriously.”

“Okay, fine,” Beth relented, but she still stopped Sam’s hand when she made to get her wallet. “You can pay me, but not with money.”

“Then what the hell —” Sam started, but she was cut off when Beth leaned forward and kissed her, just a brief peck. It happened so fast that Sam barely had time to process it before Beth was stepping back, laughter shining in her eyes.

“See you soon, Sam,” she said. Sam continued to stare dumbly at her until Emily grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the cafe, going on about how they were going to be late for class.

As soon as they were out of the cafe, Sam rounded on Emily. “What's the big idea?”

“You have class in like, ten minutes,” Emily said delicately. She still had Sam’s arm locked in her vice-like grip. Sam tried to worm away, but Jess appeared on her other side, linking their arms together at the elbow. Trapped.

This wasn’t the first time Emily and Jessica had swooped in and locked her down this way. It only meant she was in for a Talk, which never boded well. Jess and Emily tag-teaming their lectures was at the top of the list of Sam’s least favorite things.

“So,” Jessica said, all smiles. “How’s Beth?”

“Funny you should ask, I was just finding that out before you kidnapped me,” Sam said. “Come on, just cut to the chase.”

“Fair enough,” Emily said. She released Sam’s arm, and Jessica did the same. “Last we heard, you and Beth were taking things slow. And now she’s kissing you. We just want to make sure you’re not going to fuck things up.”

“Again,” Jess added helpfully.

Sam rolled her eyes. “I really appreciate your confidence in me.”

“We just want you to be happy!” Jess insisted. Emily nodded in agreement.

“What are you, my gay moms?” Sam said, but her irritation was dwindling. For all their meddling, Jessica and Emily’s hearts were always in the right place.

“Oh my god, yes!” Jessica said, clapping her hands gleefully. “We are absolutely your gay moms. Em’s already got the whole wine mom aesthetic.”

Emily snorted. “Can’t argue with you there,” she said. She ducked around Sam to loop an arm around Jessica’s waist. “Alright, we’ve got to get going. Don’t forget everything we’ve taught you, Sam. Make us proud.”

“Our little baby, soon to be making out with her magical girlfriend,” Jess said, pretending to wipe a tear away from the corner of her eye. Or maybe she wasn’t pretending; caffeine did weird things to Jessica’s emotions.

“Good _bye_ ,” Sam said. After they parted ways, she took a sip of the chai. It filled her with warmth, and she sighed gratefully. Then she noticed that Beth had drawn a heart on the cup, tiny and perfect and almost unnoticeable at first glance. Sam smiled, the heat in her belly curling into something more like butterflies.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Beth make plans, and Hannah goes to a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's this? a timely update? gasp! this one i've had planned awhile and it got a lot longer than i expected, so i hope you enjoy! (for anyone who reads my other fics, don't worry, if i should die isn't abandoned. the next chapter is actually in the works right now!!)

Whimsy Cafe had never been terribly busy before the temporary close, but word gets around in a small town; the “grand reopening” jump-started a flood of curious customers. Any time Sam walked by the shop window over the next few days, there seemed to be a line for the register that went almost to the door. And for the first time, there were always at least two of the Washington siblings behind the counter to keep up with the orders. It meant that Beth was increasingly busy, but Sam was determined to talk to her one-on-one after that kiss.

She went into the shop one afternoon after classes, and saw that Josh and Beth were behind the counter. Beth caught her eye and grinned, waving. 

“I’m taking my break!” she told Josh, slamming down the two cups she was holding and ducking under the counter. 

“Traitor,” Josh called over, but Beth ignored him. She grabbed Sam into a hug, catching the other girl off guard.

“Hey,” Sam said, half laughing as Beth released her. “Busy day?”

“God, always,” Beth said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Why, so you can use me to get out of working?” Sam asked slyly. 

Beth nudged her. “You see right through me. Wanna step outside? I know it’s kind of cold.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine,” Sam said. She followed Beth out the side door, and they leaned against the wall. Beth reached over and took Sam’s hand, lacing their fingers together. 

“So,” she said, rubbing her thumb over Sam’s. “How’s that college life treating you, huh?” 

Sam rolled her eyes. “Ugh, I do  _ not  _ want to talk about school. How’s your apprenticeship thing? Have you picked something yet?”

Beth’s expression darkened. “How about we don’t talk about that either.” 

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” Sam lifted their joined hands slightly. “Maybe we could talk about this instead?” 

“What about this?” Beth asked.

“Well, I guess I’m just wondering…” Sam hesitated. “What are we?”

Beth burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you did not just say that.”

“Come on, I’m serious!” Sam said, though she was laughing a little too.

“We,” Beth said, collecting herself, “are two people who need to go on a date. Like, a real proper date, with dinner and a movie and all the works. Is that something you’d be interested in?” She smiled, and Sam was so overcome with how pretty the other girl was that all she could do was nod dumbly.

The side door burst open, and Josh leaned out, looking frazzled. “Beth,” he said. “If you don’t get your ass back in here, I am going to die.” 

Beth pushed off the wall with a sigh. “You’re a real mood-killer, you know that? I don’t interrupt when you and Chris are being cute.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a terrible person, just get in here,” Josh said, flapping his hand at her. He disappeared back inside the cafe. 

“So,” Beth said, turning back to Sam. “Saturday, six o’clock. Sound good?”  

“Yes,” Sam said too quickly. Beth giggled and kissed her on the cheek before hurrying back into the shop again. Sam touched the spot where Beth had kissed her, her face hot and flushed. One of these days, she thought to herself, when Beth kissed her, she was going to be ready for it. In the meantime, she had a date to prepare for. 

*~*~*

By Friday evening, Sam was in full pre-date overthinking mode, and she couldn’t focus on her homework in the slightest. Some of her friends would be making fun of her for staying in on a Friday night instead of going out, and usually she would just brush them off, but today she kind of wished she  _ was  _ more of a party person. That would probably be more distracting than homework. She sat at her desk in her dorm, a bundle of energy. The fervens clipping Beth had given her rested on the table, and she idly stroked one of the leaves. It was warm, the hum of magical energy zipping through her fingertips like an electric pulse. When someone knocked at her door, Sam sprang to her feet instantly. She opened it up and Hannah was standing on the other side, two dresses draped over her arm and a look of slight panic on her face.

“Oh, hi Hannah,” Sam said, raising her eyebrows. “Everything okay?”

“I need your help,” Hannah said, coming into the room without waiting for an invitation. “Which one of these dresses do you think is like, sexier?” She held the two dresses up for Sam to see. One was red and sparkly, cut mid-thigh and strapless. The other was a deep navy, neckline plunging and flared at the bottom. 

“What is this for?” Sam asked, though she had an idea.

“Ugh,” Hannah said. She dropped onto Sam’s bed, shaking her head. “You’re going to think I’m such an idiot.”

“No I won’t,” Sam said, joining her and putting a hand on the other girl’s arm. “You can tell me, Hannah. I’m not going to judge you.”

“I found out that Mike is going to a party tonight,” Hannah explained. “One of those frat houses down on Sycamore? Anyway, he’s going and I know I told you I didn’t like him, but I think we both know I was full of it.”

Sam smiled sympathetically. “I totally get it, Han.”

“Am I being stupid? I just want to go to the party, and maybe we’ll talk and he’ll think I’m pretty and… and I don’t know what then.” 

“You’re not being stupid. You have a crush! Mike tends to have that effect on people, or so I’ve heard,” Sam assured her. “But Hannah, you don’t like parties. Are you sure you really want to go?” 

Hannah nodded, a gleam of determination in her eye. “I can handle it.” She stood up again, pressing the dresses to herself. “So? Which one?” 

Sam deliberated, and then pointed to the red dress. “Classic lady in red, right?”

Hannah beamed. “Sam, you’re the best. Thank you so much.” She grabbed Sam in a tight hug, and then pulled back with a serious, wide-eyed expression. “Please don’t tell Josh or Beth, okay? They’d just — they’d try to talk me out of it, or make fun of me, or something.”

“Um, okay,” Sam agreed somewhat hesitantly. “But how about you text me later, alright? Tell me how everything goes. And remember, it’s fine if you get overwhelmed and want to go home. Frat parties can be a lot to take in.”

“I’ll be fine,” Hannah insisted. “But that’s sweet of you to worry. I will text you. Okay, I should get going. Thank you! Bye!” She gave Sam one more quick hug before she dashed out the door again. 

Hannah’s visit left Sam feeling a little rattled, but she shrugged it off soon enough. At the very least, it had distracted her from obsessively thinking about her date with Beth the next day. She flopped back into her desk chair and got to work on the statistics chapter that was sitting open and intimidating on the table. A couple hours passed this way, and she soon became so absorbed in trying to fathom distributions and margins of error that Hannah and the frat party were far from her mind.

It was nearly eleven at night when a frantic pounding on her dormitory door startled her out of her seat. “The hell?” she muttered, frowning at the door. “Guess I’m popular today.” She opened the door with trepidation. “Oh! Beth, hi!” she exclaimed. She opened the door wider, and saw that behind Beth stood Josh and Chris. All three of them had worried frowns, arms crossed. Josh drummed his fingers anxiously against his arm. “Uh… what’s up, guys?” Sam asked.

“Have you talked to Hannah at all tonight?” Beth asked. 

“We haven’t heard from her all night, she won’t answer our calls or texts,” Josh explained. “She’s not at the cafe, either. I know you two aren’t super close, but —” He paused, cocking his head slightly to the side. “She’s been here, hasn’t she?” 

“I… yeah, a few hours ago she came by,” Sam said. “Do you want to come in?”

“Did she tell you if she was going somewhere tonight?” Josh asked as the three of them filed into the room.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, she said she was — well, she actually told me not to tell you guys because you’d make fun of her. But she went to a party.”

“A party? Hannah?” Beth’s brow furrowed. “Okay, that’s… weird, I’ll admit.”

“It’s because Mike is there,” Sam said. “She likes him.”

“Oh Christ,” Josh said, running a hand over his face. “Why does she always have to go for the assholes?”

“Hey,” Chris said half-heartedly. “Mike’s not so bad.” He exchanged a look with Sam and then shrugged. “Okay, yeah, I guess he’s kind of terrible.”

“Can you call Mike?” Beth asked Sam, ignoring Chris and Josh. “Maybe he’s seen Hannah at the party. I know it’s stupid to worry so much, she’s a perfectly capable adult, but I just have a weird feeling. I want to make sure she’s okay.” Beth rubbed her arm, frowning at the floor.

Sam touched her shoulder. “Hey,” she said gently. “I’m sure Hannah’s fine. I’ll call Mike and ask, okay?” 

Beth eased under Sam’s touch. “Yeah, okay. You’re right. Thank you.” 

Josh and Chris sat down on Sam’s bed, while Beth watched Sam punch in Mike’s number. The four waited with bated breath as it rang, and then Mike picked up. Sam put the phone on speaker.

“Hello?” Mike’s voice came through, tinny and slurred. Music and voices filled the background. “Sam?”

“Hey, Mike, what’s up?” Sam said.

“I’m at a party! You doing anything tonight? You should come down, it’s off the fuckin’ chain in here!” Mike was practically shouting, and Beth wrinkled her nose at the volume. 

“Ha, I’m good. You know me, I’m not much of a party gal,” Sam said into the phone. “Mike, listen, I was wondering if you’ve seen Hannah tonight.”

“Who?”

“Hannah Washington. She said she was going to be at the party.”

“Oh, right! Duh. Yeah, I saw her.” Everyone visibly sagged with relief at Mike’s words. “Yeah, I talked to her like twenty minutes ago, maybe? I feel bad, I was kinda distracted. You remember Melanie from last semester? That girl I went out with a few times? She’s here tonight! We started talking and totally hit it off!”

Sam winced. She could only imagine how bummed out Hannah must be feeling. “That’s great, Mike. Do you know if Hannah’s still there?” 

“I haven’t seen her, she might’ve — oh, shit,” Mike cut himself off, a note of panic in his voice. Sam frowned down at her phone. Muffled shouts and expletives from the other partygoers rumbled in the speaker. 

“Mike?” Sam said urgently. “Mike, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Shit, Sam, I gotta go,” Mike said, and he definitely sounded scared now. “There’s — holy shit. Fire. I gotta —” The line went dead.

The four of them stared at each other in silent horror. 

“Um, what the fuck?” Chris said finally. His voice was a higher pitch than normal, cracked with fear. 

“We need to find that frat house,” Josh said. There was a storm behind his eyes, and Sam had a terrible feeling in her gut. “Do you know where it is?” 

“Um,” Sam said, scrambling to remember what Hannah had told her. “I just know it’s on Sycamore.” 

“Okay. Let’s go.” Josh led the way out of the dorm room, and as they walked down out of the building, Sam tugged on Chris’s sleeve.

“What are you thinking?” she asked. 

Chris shrugged. He still looked shaken from Mike’s phone call. “I dunno. Josh and I were just hanging out when Beth came over and asked us about Hannah. Sounded like things are pretty… bad. God, I hope everyone’s okay.” 

They all piled into Sam’s car, Josh riding shotgun while Chris and Beth crammed in the back. The drive to Sycamore was quiet, no one really feeling like saying much. As they got closer, though, a distinct pungent smell filled the car.

“God, it reeks of smoke,” Beth said, leaning forward to peer out the windshield from the space between the two front seats. “Are we close?”

Sam turned onto the street, and the sight that greeted them made them all audibly gasp. One of the frat houses was on fire, orange flames and plumes of smoke billowing out from the windows. A small crowd of people, presumably the party attendees, stood on the other side of the street. Two fire trucks were parked in front of the house, firefighters already at work to douse the flames. 

“Holy shit,” Chris breathed. 

“Josh?” Beth said, gripping her brother’s shoulder.

Josh’s brow furrowed in concentration for a moment, and then he sighed. “She’s not here. But this is definitely her doing. It’s a magical fire, I can tell.” 

“Whoa, whoa, what? Hannah did this?” Chris asked, incredulous. “But I thought she could just, like, talk to animals and shit.”

“Our mom’s been teaching her fire powers,” Beth explained, voice tight with exasperation. “But it’s not her natural power, and fire magic is already volatile to begin with…” She shook Josh’s shoulder again. “Is anyone dead?”

He frowned, rubbing his temple. “I can’t tell, we’re too far away from the house. Shit’s not coming through right.” 

“Well there’s no way we’re getting closer than this,” Sam said. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “What should we do?”

“We need to find Hannah,” Josh said. “Maybe… maybe she went back to the cafe? Fuck. I have no idea.”

“Wait,” Chris said suddenly. “What about Mike? Sam, you should call him again. Make sure he’s… you know.” 

“Right.” Sam pulled out her phone and called Mike. It rang and rang, and dread pooled in her stomach, but finally, the line clicked.

“Sam?”

“Mike! Oh thank god, are you okay?”

“I’m — yeah, I think so! Fuck, Sam, there was a fire in the frat house, it was so fucking scary. Everyone was running around climbing out windows and shit, I almost pissed my fucking pants. Full disclosure, I did piss my pants.”

“Was anyone hurt? Were you hurt?” Sam asked. She scanned the crowd of people, but they were too far away for her to spot Mike amongst them.

“No, I wasn’t hurt, I’m okay. I think everyone got out, there’s a lot of people out here. Melanie’s with me, she’s okay. But shit, Sam, I’ve been looking for Hannah since we got out of the house, I haven’t seen her. I’m kind of freaking the fuck out.”

“Mike,” Sam said quickly. “It’s okay, Hannah left… uh, before the fire. She’s okay.”

“Oh, thank god,” Mike said. “Christ on a fucking cracker, I’m too drunk for this shit.”

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. I’m so glad you’re alright. Just try to stay calm and call me if anything happens, okay?”

“Roger that. Bye, Sam.” Mike hung up, and Sam set her phone in her lap, resting her head gently against the steering wheel.

“What did he say?” Chris asked.

“He’s fine, he’s pretty sure no one go hurt,” Sam said. She straightened up again and turned to Josh. “Should we go to the cafe, see if Hannah’s there?”

Josh nodded, so Sam drove away from the now smoldering frat house. She could hear Chris drumming anxiously on his knees the whole drive to Whimsy, and beside her the tension rolled off of Josh in waves.

Sam parked the car in front of the darkened cafe, and the four of them made their way up the stairwell. The apartment door was locked, and when Beth opened it, the interior was dark and silent.

“Hannah?” Sam called hopefully. Nothing. Not even Bartholomew, the giant cat, appeared to be home. 

“Maybe she’s on the roof?” Chris suggested. They left the apartment and continued up the stairs to the roof, but it was empty. 

Josh swore softly, pacing the rooftop. “She’s not here either,” he said. “Damn it, where the hell is she?”

“This isn’t like her,” Beth said. “Should we try calling her again?”

“Maybe,” Josh rubbed his hands over his face. “Or… shit. I think I know where she might be.” He stopped dead in his tracks, and he and Beth exchanged a look. Beth’s expression became as distressed as Josh’s. 

Chris looked from Beth to Josh, and then lifted his hands impatiently. “Stop doing your weird silent sibling communication! Where is she?” 

Josh grimaced. “You guys up for a little trip to the Washington estate?” 

 

The Washington estate was a large, imposing house on a hilltop, surrounded by immaculately trimmed hedges. Sam parked the car at the base of the hill, blinking up at the dimly lit manor. She’d never been this close to it before.

“When’s the last time you were here?” Chris asked Josh as they trekked up the hill.

“December. When I told my parents I’m gay, and my dad looked like he was about to blow a fucking gasket.” Josh smiled grimly. “So, you know, I’m just bursting with fond memories right now.”

“I’m not thrilled about this either, Josh, but Hannah needs us,” Beth said. Her hand found Sam’s, and she squeezed tight. Sam could feel the other girl trembling slightly. 

Josh led them around to the side of the house, where a lattice led up to the second story. “That’s my bedroom,” Josh said quietly, pointing to the window right next to the lattice. “I’ll go up first and open the window, and then you guys come up.” He climbed the lattice with a familiar ease that told Sam he’d done this countless times before. 

Josh jimmied the window open and hoisted himself inside. He poked his head out and beckoned them forward. Beth went next.

“Sometimes I wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into,” Sam muttered to Chris, watching as Josh helped Beth inside. 

“Yeah, I’m a little in over my head,” Chris said. “But they really care about each other. That’s something.” He sighed. “I hope Hannah’s okay.”

“She is,” Sam said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. She watched Chris climb the lattice with far less grace than Beth or Josh had, and then she followed him up. 

Josh’s room was cold, full of stale air from months of vacancy. The walls were mostly bare, and things sat in piles on the floor, clearly stuff he’d discarded while packing to move into the apartment above Whimsy. The four of them tiptoed to the bedroom door, and Josh opened it slowly. They exited into a dark hallway, and Josh gestured to the door three down the hall. Light spilled out from the crack at the bottom. 

Beth reached the door first, and when she opened it, there was a muffled gasp of shock. Everyone piled into the room, and they were met face-to-face with Hannah. 

Hannah, wearing the red dress Sam had told her to wear. Her hair was mussed, eyes puffy and red with tears, and there was a sooty substance on her palms. Bartholomew was curled up on the bed, taking up nearly half of it all on his own. He meowed warningly when they entered the room. 

“W-what are you doing here?” Hannah sniffled. 

“We’ve been looking for you all night!” Josh exclaimed in a harsh whisper. “Jesus, Han, we didn’t know what happened to you. Why didn’t you answer any of our calls, we’ve been worried sick!”

“Don’t yell at me,” Hannah said, wiping at her eyes. “I know I f-fucked up, okay? I’m such an idiot!” Sparks shot from her fingers, and Bartholomew yowled.

“Hannah, shh, calm down,” Beth said, dropping onto the bed next to her sister and grabbing her hands. “You’re not an idiot. It was an accident.”

“I saw Mike talking to some other girl, and I just got so… sad and angry. But I didn’t mean to start a fire, I didn’t know how to stop it!”

“No one got hurt,” Sam said. She took a hesitant step forward, and found herself glancing at Bartholomew as if for permission. The cat blinked slowly at her. She took that as a go-ahead, and sat on Hannah’s other side. “Everyone’s okay, you didn’t hurt anyone. And honestly, the guys who live in the Sycamore frat houses are loaded, their insurance will cover any damages to the house.” 

“I just…” Hannah sigh shakily. “Beth and Josh, you guys both found people. People who like you. And I’m really happy for you, obviously, but I wanted to find someone, too.”

“You will,” Beth said.

“No, don’t you get it?” Hannah exclaimed. “In school, we were freaks, no one wanted to talk to us. And I thought maybe, finally, things were different. But they’re not. Someone’s always going to be prettier than me, or more normal. I’m nothing.” 

“Hey,” Sam said. “You’re not nothing. You’re incredible, Hannah. You were incredible before Mike Munroe, and you’ll be incredible long after. You’re kind and funny and beautiful, and you don’t need a boy for that to be true.” 

Hannah side-eyed her, shoulders sagging. “You really think that?”

“I don’t think it, I know it,” Sam said. 

Hannah didn’t smile, not quite, but something flickered across her face that was in the same ballpark. “Thank you, Sam,” she said quietly. She let go of Beth’s hands and scrubbed at her eyes. “God, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I came here. I just panicked. Bartholomew was waiting for me when I showed up, though, so I guess he knew.”

“Do mom and dad know you’re here?” Josh asked. 

She nodded. “They let me in. They were happy to see me.” She frowned. “I didn’t really want to talk to them. I didn’t tell them what happened.” 

“We can figure this out in the morning,” Beth said soothingly. “But it’s been a long, shitty night. We should all get some sleep, don’t you think?” 

Hannah nodded again. “Yeah. Sleep would be nice.”

“We can use my room,” Josh offered. “It’s got the pull-out couch and a queen-size bed, we could all fit in there.”

Beth caught Sam’s wrist as the group headed for the door. Her eyes were wide, too many emotions running through them for Sam to pinpoint. Sam gave her a questioning look, and Beth just smiled, soft and worn at the edges. “Thank you,” she said. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day brings new hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for all the continued love and support for this story, y'all are the best. BY THE WAY, look at this [AMAZING ART](http://banhmiboy.tumblr.com/post/147065057438/%EF%BE%89-%E3%83%AE-%EF%BE%89%EF%BE%9F-happy-birthday-to-the-biggest-nerd-in) that my amazingly talented friend minh did for whimsy. it's my phone wallpaper and i get happy/emotional every time i look at it. 
> 
> this chapter gets real sappy. you're welcome.

Josh’s bedroom seemed a lot less cold and barren with five people crammed into it. His desk lamp cast a golden light across the floor. He and Chris pulled out the mattress in the couch, and Chris immediately called dibs on it for the two of them.

Beth loaned Sam a pair of pajamas, and as she changed into them, she couldn’t help but compare the night to the last time she’d had to borrow Beth’s clothes. That party-turned-sleepover felt like a whole different universe from now. Things had changed so much in the past few months. When she came back into Josh’s room and took in the scene before her, it made her chest feel warm and full. Josh and Chris were curled together on the pull-out couch, talking softly. Beth and Hannah sat on the bed, Hannah looking calmer now that she was in pajamas and wrapped in a thick comforter. Bartholomew was on the end of the bed, and he made an approving meow when Sam entered. 

“Hey,” Beth greeted her when she joined the twins on the bed. “You ready to crash?”

“Definitely,” Sam said. The girls all got under the covers, Sam and Hannah on either side and Beth in the middle. There was a brief argument from Chris and Josh’s bed as they tried to decide who had to get up and turn off the lights, but eventually Josh won and Chris went over to the lamp, grumbling something about “no more cuddling” as he flicked off the light. 

Sam stared at the ceiling for a few minutes that stretched into twenty, waiting for sleep to take over, but her mind wouldn’t shut off. It might have had something to do with her close proximity to Beth, bare legs touching in their sleep shorts, Beth’s even breathing against her shoulder. She rolled onto her side, and was surprised to see Beth was still awake, eyes glittering in the dark room.

“Can’t sleep either, huh?” Sam whispered. 

Beth shook her head, adjusting so the two of them were nearly nose-to-nose. “Too much on my mind.”

“Like what?” Sam asked.

Beth hesitated, tongue flitting out to wet her lips, and Sam suddenly felt hot and stuffy under the covers. “I’m thinking about you,” Beth admitted. “Sam, it really means so much to me that you helped us find Hannah tonight, and that you helped calm her down.”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Sam said softly. “Hannah’s my friend, I care about her.”

“I know you do,” Beth said. “Remember what I said before, about needing to trust you again before we could be anything?” She smiled slightly, and Sam could feel it more than she could see it in the darkness. “I trust you, Sam.”

“Yeah?” Sam said, feeling short of breath. “Does that mean I can do this?” She tilted her head slightly, and Beth pressed forward to meet her. Their lips brushed once, twice, and then they were kissing for real. Beth’s lips were soft, and she tasted faintly of tea and honey. Sam couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face, and Beth giggled quietly.

“What’s so funny?” Sam asked.

“Nothing. You’re just really pretty,” Beth said. She brushed her hand against Sam’s cheek, pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen forward. “Especially with your hair down like this.”

“You can’t even see me,” Sam protested, but she couldn’t stop the blush spreading across her cheeks. 

“Quit making out in my fucking bed,” Josh’s voice cut through the room, much louder than Sam and Beth’s whispers had been. 

“Kiss my ass, Josh,” Beth hissed. Sam snickered, turning to hide her face in her pillow. Considering Hannah was right on Beth’s other side, though, Josh did have a point. The two girls rolled onto their backs, and Sam felt Beth’s pinky finger hook with her own. As cozy as she felt in that moment, Sam knew it would be a long time before she fell asleep. 

*~*~*

Light poured into the bedroom from the window, seeing as they’d forgotten to close the curtains after climbing in the night before. Sam blinked slowly, the evening’s events coming back to her in a flood. She tried to turn over and found that Beth had latched onto her in the night, arms locked firmly around Sam’s waist. It was cute and all, but Sam had to go to the bathroom. She shifted, trying to see if she could ease herself out of Beth’s grip without waking the other girl, but Beth’s arms only tightened around her middle.

“Get off, I need to pee,” Sam whispered. Beth grumbled sleepily, pressing her nose against Sam’s spine. 

Bartholomew jumped onto the bed and padded over to the two girls, nuzzling Beth’s arm with the top of his head. She grumbled again, but lifted her arm. Bartholomew wedged his way into the space, and then gave Sam a distinctly judgmental look. She took the hint and rolled out of Beth’s arms. When she looked back, Beth had the cat in her death grip instead. He meowed quietly, and if Sam had to guess, he was saying “you owe me.” 

Sam was about to go look for the bathroom when she noticed that the curtains weren’t just open, the whole window was. Hannah was sitting on the sill, one leg dangling out into the morning air. Sam glanced around; Josh and Chris were still fast asleep, tangled up in the sheets. She tiptoed over to the window.

“Hey,” she said. 

Hannah jumped, and then turned to Sam with a tired smile. “Oh, good morning Sam. I didn’t know anyone else was awake.”

“Just me,” Sam said. She gestured to the space at the other end of the windowsill. “Can I join you?” Hannah nodded, and Sam eased herself onto the sill, bending one knee and sticking the other leg out the window. 

“I’ve been checking up on news about the fire,” Hannah said, holding up her phone. “No one was injured, and the damage to the house was actually not too bad. They’re saying the cause was a bunch of overturned alcohol bottles in the kitchen. I guess that’s happened a few times at frat parties down there.” She shrugged. “So I’m off the hook.”

“Well that’s good,” Sam said. “I mean, normally I’m all for owning up to your mistakes, but I think you can just leave this one.” 

Hannah laughed slightly. She still looked somewhat sad, but better than the night before. “I just can’t believe I let myself get so out of control,” she said, staring out at the early morning sky. “I feel so ridiculous.”

“It’s okay. We’ve all acted ridiculous over a crush,” Sam said. 

“Setting fire to a house ridiculous?” Hannah asked pointedly. Sam winced, and Hannah nodded. “I rest my case.” She leaned heavily against the window frame. “I need to get out of Fairton.”

“Wait, what?” Sam asked, sitting up straighter. “What do you mean?”

“This town’s not good for me. We’re a spectacle here, my whole family. I hate it, I hate being weird and different. I need to go somewhere where people don’t look at me and only see one thing, you know?” 

Sam understood, but the thought of Hannah leaving, when they were just getting to be close friends, made her a little clingy. “Fairton wouldn’t be the same without you. And Whimsy  _ definitely  _ wouldn’t.”

Hannah smiled at that, reaching over to pat Sam’s knee. “You’re a good friend, Sam. I’d miss you, and Josh and Beth and Chris. But it wouldn’t be a forever thing. Maybe just for a while, for my apprenticeship or something.” She shrugged, glancing back into the bedroom. “I think it would clear my head a bit.” 

“Well, we’ll all support whatever you decide to do,” Sam said. 

“I wish we’d been friends in high school,” Hannah said. 

“Me too,” Sam sighed. “But we’re friends now.” Her eyes widened at a memory, and she said, “Oh man, I know something that will totally cheer you up.”

“What is it?” Hannah asked.

“Last night, I called Mike, you know, after the… well, the fire. And apparently he got so scared he actually pissed himself.” Sam only felt a little bad for sharing that little detail. She figured Hannah deserved to have a little dirt on Mike, after all that had happened.

Hannah clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. “Oh my god, are you serious?” she said. “I shouldn’t be laughing, but oh my god.” 

“Hey, if anyone could stand to have their ego knocked down a few pegs, it’s Mike,” Sam said. “Laughing is absolutely permitted.” 

“No offense, but can you two shut the hell up?” Josh said from the couch. The girls glanced over and saw that he’d lifted his head from where it rested on Chris’s chest, and was glaring blearily at them. “Some of us are trying to get our beauty sleep.”

“Gonna be sleeping a long time then, brother,” Hannah chided. Josh squawked in indignation, and from beneath him Chris started snickering.

“The disrespect is unreal right now,” Josh muttered, rolling to the side and climbing out of bed. He slouched over to the window and mussed Hannah’s hair. “How ya feeling, kid?” 

“Better,” Hannah said. “Sam helped. She told me Mike peed his pants last night.”

“What!” Josh burst out laughing. “Holy shit, that is the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Mike did what now?” Chris said, sitting up and scrubbing at his eyes. 

Sam groaned. “Okay, this does not leave this room, got it? Mike would kill me if he knew I told everyone that.” 

Beth woke up last, looking thoroughly confused when she realized she was spooning Bartholomew. She stumbled to the window, where everyone else had congregated. “So what’s the plan for today?” she asked through a yawn. “We heading back to the cafe?” 

“Shouldn’t I say goodbye to mom and dad first?” Hannah asked.

“Ugh. Don’t tell them we’re here,” Josh said. 

“You have to talk to them eventually,” Hannah said. 

“I absolutely do not,” Josh countered. He paused when the creak of floorboards came from outside the bedroom door. Hannah and Sam clambered back into the room. Josh looked like he was ready to bolt. As if sensing his flightiness, Beth grabbed his wrist, shaking her head. The five of them stared at the bedroom door.

It opened, and Bob and Melinda Washington entered the room. Sam was more than a little intimidated, and not just because of what she’d heard from Josh and Beth. Bob Washington was something of a local legend; not only was he a former member of the Magical Board, a witch of some great influence at one time in his life — he also made incredibly popular movies. Sam had only ever seen him from a distance or on TV, and certainly not in his pajamas like he was now.

“Well,” Melinda said after a short, awkward silence. “Looks like we missed the sleepover memo.” Her gaze passed over the group, and Josh reached over to grab Chris’s hand. He had an almost defiant look on his face, as if daring his parents to say anything. 

“They came to make sure I was okay,” Hannah offered. “This is Chris and Sam.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sam said. Beth jabbed a finger into her side, and Sam shot her an apologetic glance. She couldn’t help but be polite, even if it  _ was  _ to her maybe-girlfriend’s shitty parents. 

“So,” Bob Washington said. He kept staring at Sam and Chris in turn, and Sam had the distinct, uneasy sensation that he was probing their minds. 

Beth must’ve had the same thought, because she cut in, “Dad, stop it. If you want to know something about them, try asking like a normal person.”

Bob’s eyebrow twitched, and for a second Sam thought he was going to start yelling, but then he chuckled ruefully. “It’s been a while since you called me on my shit,” he said. “I forget I need that sometimes.”

“Yeah, well,” Beth said, looking anywhere but at her father. 

Bob and Melinda exchanged glances, and then Melinda said, “Sam, Chris, would you mind if we talked to our children for a few minutes? Alone?” 

“Oh, uh, I guess not,” Chris said. 

“We’ll talk in the living room,” Melinda said to her kids, and gestured for them to follow. Josh frowned for a moment in stubborn silence, and then sighed and let go of Chris’s hand. Hannah led the way as they filed out of the room after their parents, and Beth squeezed Sam’s arm before she left.

“We’ll be right back,” she whispered. Sam nodded, and then the Washingtons were gone and the door was shut behind them. Sam and Chris looked at each other.

“What now?” Chris asked.

“I guess we wait,” Sam said. She sat down on Josh’s bed, smoothing her hands over the covers. “What do you think they’re going to talk about?”

“I have no clue,” Chris said, dropping down next to her. “I hope everything goes okay, though. I thought Josh was going to break my fingers from how hard he was squeezing my hand.” 

They didn’t talk much, just sitting quietly as the sun slowly rose higher and higher in the sky. Ten minutes turned to twenty turned to nearly half an hour. Chris was flopped back onto the bed, feet dangling off the edge. He had his phone out, and dropped it on his face when the bedroom door finally opened. Sam, who had been staring into space trying not to think about how much she still had to pee, jumped to her feet. Beth, Hannah, and Josh all came into the room, but Bob and Melinda were nowhere to be seen.

“Who wants to go get pancakes? On me,” Josh said, clapping his hands together. 

There was no explanation about what had been discussed until they got to the restaurant, a dingy local diner that had an inexpensive brunch special. Chris made a quip about Josh being a cheap date, and Josh threw a sugar packet at him. They were all sat at a booth, the Washingtons poring over the menus, when Sam couldn’t take the wait any longer.

“So what did you guys talk about?” she blurted. 

Beth closed her menu, and to Sam’s surprise, she looked almost amused. “Apparently, our parents have been  _ very  _ distraught about our family falling to pieces.”

“Mom said she hadn’t realized just how much she missed us until she saw us all standing there together,” Hannah added. 

Chris nudged Josh, who had an indiscernible look on his face. “What’re you thinking?”

Josh sighed. “I’m thinking I need a goddamn cigarette.”

Chris frowned at him. “Hey, you said you were quitting.”

“I know, I know. I’m not actually  _ going  _ to smoke, relax.” He grinned ruefully. “It was alright. I was expecting them to just chew us out, but they actually wanted to like, reconcile.” 

“Whoa, really?” Sam said. “That’s… that’s good, right?” 

“Mom said when she saw us together, that we looked happy,” Josh said, hand sliding over Chris’s. “I don’t know, it’s a start.” 

“Tell them the best part!” Hannah said, kicking Josh under the table. 

“Oh, right, well,” Josh looked nervous. “Um, my dad said that if I wanted, he could set up an assistant director position for me, with one of his friends. Instead of doing the Magical Board thing.”

“Aaaand?” Hannah sang, now looking at Beth. 

“And, since Josh isn’t going to be on the Magical Board, Dad said he’d connect me with one of the old board members. If I want to do that.” Beth looked down at the menu. “And I want to. Obviously.”

“I can’t believe they’re finally coming around,” Chris said.

“They wanted us to move back home, too,” Beth said. “But we said no. I still don’t think I forgive them yet, but I am totally going to take advantage of their guilty consciences.” 

“I’m really happy for you,” Sam said, her hand finding Beth’s knee under the table. “Are you happy?”

“I actually am, yeah,” Beth said. “It’s just like, weird, I guess.”

They ordered their food and continued to talk about Josh and Beth’s upcoming apprenticeships over pancakes and coffee. It wasn’t until their plates were nearly empty that Beth smacked the table, looking at Sam with wide eyes.

“What, jeez?” Sam said, jumping in her seat at the rattle of silverware. 

“Our date! Is supposed to be tonight!” Beth exclaimed. 

“Um, yeah,” Sam said, still confused by the other girl’s outburst. “Did you want to… reschedule or something?”

“Yes,” Beth said. “For like, right now.”

Sam started to smile. “What happened to dinner and a movie, all the works?” 

Beth shook her head. “Changed my mind. I’ve got a way better idea, you’re going to love it.” 

Sam was pretty sure she would love anything, so long as she got to kiss Beth again at some point. Beth turned to the others, who were all watching the conversation unfold with amusement. 

“Would you guys hate us if we left?” Beth asked.

“Go,” Hannah said, patting her sister on the hand. “Be gay. In both senses of the word. I’ll just force these two to hang out with me.” She hooked a thumb in the direction of Chris and Josh. 

“You can third wheel our date to the arcade,” Josh offered. Hannah seemed pleased at this prospect, and Beth grabbed Sam’s hand, tugging her out the door of the cafe after brief goodbyes. 

“So,” Sam said once they were outside. “Where to?”

Beth just grinned at her. “Oh, you’ll see.” 

 

They were back at the hiking trailhead, and while Sam loved the outdoors and the place that they’d had their first “date,” she had been kind of expecting something bigger with the way Beth was acting. As if sensing her confusion, Beth led her away from the main trail. “It’s this way.” She gestured to an area of the forest that was thickly blocked by trees. There didn’t appear to be a way to even get through, the trees grew so close. 

“Um,” Sam started, but Beth was waving a hand in front of the thicket, and then the trees shifted, parting to reveal a well-worn dirt path that Sam had never seen before. “Holy crap.”

“Yeah, I’ve had this place hidden for a few years now,” Beth said, looking rather pleased with herself. “I’ve got some things growing further in that — well, you’ll see. Come on.” 

Beth led the way down the path, Sam trailing a few steps behind. It felt like they were walking through a tunnel, the way the trees bent overhead to form a canopy that nearly blocked out the midmorning sun. The path was bathed in a dappled greenish light through the leaves, and everything felt quiet and peaceful, like they were the only two to ever set foot in this place.

There was a bend in the path, and Beth stopped, turning to Sam. “Okay, so. Around the corner is something I’ve been working on. I haven’t shown anybody else yet.”

“But you’re showing me?” Sam asked.

“You’re the one person I know who’ll really appreciate it,” Beth said simply. She held out her hand, and Sam took it without hesitation. “Ready?” 

The two girls turned the corner, and Sam’s breath caught in her throat. All around them, twisting up the trees, were fervens plants. Not just the gently glowing green, either. A rainbow of pinks, oranges, blues, yellows, and purples filled the entire clearing. Some of the plants were enormous, with leaves as big as Sam’s head. They all glowed, all filled the space with a warm sense of something alive and magical. 

“Ta-da,” Beth said softly. Sam stared at her, mouth slightly agape, and Beth blushed. Or maybe it was just the pink light from the fervens. “What do you think?”

“It’s incredible,” Sam said, laughing in astonishment. “It’s…  _ you’re  _ incredible. I can’t believe you’re showing me this before anyone else.” 

“Well, you know.” Beth shrugged, looking embarrassed but pleased.

Sam smiled knowingly at her. “Here you go again, using magic to woo me.”

Beth raised an eyebrow. “Is it working?” 

Instead of replying, Sam cupped Beth’s face in her hands and kissed her. Beth’s arms looped around Sam’s waist, and they stayed that way for a long time. When they finally parted, Beth kept Sam close, foreheads touching. She was smiling with such tenderness, and Sam’s heart felt fit to burst. 

“It’s definitely working,” Sam said. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah moves on, and Sath and Jemily go on an impromptu double date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL GOLLY. it's been a good 2ish months since I updated this fic, and i'm finally rollin' in to wrap things up. i'm sorry this took so long, my life has been all over the place and it's been really hard for me to find the time/energy to write. in any case, pls enjoy this final chapter!!! xoxo

When Sam and Beth left the fervens grove and came back into cell service range, Sam’s phone buzzed with about a dozen text messages. Frowning, she opened the ones from Chris first.

_Hope you’re having a nice date ;) me and Josh and Hannah are at Whimsy whenever you’re done btw_

_Oh also… I may or may not have told everyone we know about you and Beth finally being A Thing now. Sorry love you please don’t kill me xoxo!!!_

Sam rolled her eyes, the rest of the messages in her inbox starting to make more sense. Ashley had sent her a series of exclamation points and celebratory emoji, Jess had just sent _YAAAAAAAAAAAS_ , and Emily had chimed in with _About fucking time lmao._

_Hey congrats on finally getting ur girl!_ Matt’s text read. _What was the thing that did it? Was it the magical plant gift (my idea)? I’m gonna assume it was that. Ur welcome._

Mike’s message was the only one not congratulating her. It said, _Why did Josh Washington just text me a bunch of jokes calling me a piss baby???? DID U TELL HIM I PEED MY PANTS YESTERDAY BECAUSE THAT WAS CLASSIFIED INFO, SAM._

“Jesus,” she said, unable to hide her amusement. Beth leaned over her shoulder, curious, and let out a snort of laughter.

“I will have words with my brother,” she promised. “But that is fucking hysterical.”

“It’s fine,” Sam said, shaking her head and still grinning. “I should’ve known better than to trust Josh with such good teasing material.”

Beth laced her fingers with Sam’s and pressed their shoulders together. They were almost back to the car by now. “So did you want to go back to Whimsy, then?”

Sam nodded. “Gotta make sure the others aren’t getting into too much trouble without us.”

When they got to the cafe, Josh, Chris, and Hannah were all by the counter, laughing at some stupid pun Chris had made. Hannah was sitting on the counter, feet swinging, and her face was so bright with happiness that it made Sam smile without even knowing the joke.

“She’s gonna be fine,” Beth murmured, leaning close to Sam. She looked both relieved and slightly sad as she said it. Sam nodded, pulling her further into the store. The other three caught sight of them and waved them over.

“So what did you two get up to?” Chris asked.

Sam and Beth shared a secret smile. “Not much, just hung out in the woods,” Sam said. “You’d have hated it. Lots of nature and junk.”

“That sounds terrible,” Chris agreed. “You guys are weird.”

“Well, Hannah totally schooled us at the arcade,” Josh said. Hannah beamed, nodding. “I’m never bringing her there again. How am I supposed to impress my boyfriend when my little sister is kicking my ass?”

“You’re just going to have to accept that I’m cooler than you,” Hannah said with a shrug.

“Yeah, I think I figured that out forever ago,” he said, reaching over to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer and ruffling her hair. She squawked, batting him away.

It wasn’t until later, when they’d goofed around well into the afternoon and Sam was just considering heading home for the day, when she noticed that Hannah seemed a little off. While Beth, Chris, and Josh talked amongst themselves, Sam made her way to where Hannah stood by the window, staring out it with a sort of wistfulness.

“You okay?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. I’m just thinking.” Hannah glanced at Sam. “I was being serious this morning, you know. I think I’m going to leave Fairton.”

Sam nodded slowly, stepping closer to her friend. “I know.” They were quiet for a moment, watching people pass on the street outside, bundled up in thick scarves and coats. “Do you think it will make you happy?”

“I do,” Hannah said. “Maybe a little lonely, but… I’ve felt lonely for a long time anyway. And I’ll have Bartholomew with me.”

Sam smiled at that. “He’s a good buddy.” She glanced back at the others. “Do they know?”

“I told Josh at the arcade,” Hannah said. “He tried to talk me out of it at first, but I think he gets it. And Beth knows. I haven’t told her, but she’s always known.” She lifted her chin, eyes still on the town’s afternoon bustle on the other side of the window. Her eyes flashed like sparks of flame, and Sam could see the crackling power hidden beneath the other girl’s usually cheerful exterior. Hannah really was a powerful witch, she realized, and this small town was holding her back.

Sam wanted to say a lot of things then, but everything sounded stupid when she tried to put it to words. “Where will you go?” she asked instead.

“I was thinking Los Angeles,” Hannah said. “Dad knows people there, so I wouldn’t have to worry about a place to stay or anything. And it’s about as different from Fairton as you can get.”

“What are you two conspiring about over here?” Beth said, interrupting the moment as she came over and put an arm around each of them. “My girlfriend and my sister getting up to no good?”

“Girlfriend?” Sam repeated. Beth flushed, and Sam twisted around to give her an expectant look.

“Well — I mean, I know we never explicitly _stated_ it, but I thought it was like, implied,” Beth said, still flustered. “We are, right?”

“Yeah,” Sam said, grinning. “Definitely.”

“You guys have _got_ to stop making me third wheel all your romantic revelations,” Hannah said, squirming out from under Beth’s other arm.

“Oh shit, were you awake last night?” Beth said.

“When you guys were making out? Yeah,” Hannah said. She looked more amused than annoyed, but Sam and Beth were abashed anyway.

*~*~*

Sam expected Hannah to have a goodbye party, one with lots of tearful hugs as she promised to write them all or something — but that’s not what happened. Sam was half asleep one early morning about two weeks after the conversation in the cafe when she heard a sharp tapping against her second story window. She sat up, squinting in confusion for a moment before she realized what it was. A bird was pecking at her window in rapid succession, perched on the sill outside.

“What the hell?” she mumbled, getting out of bed and slowly approaching the window. The bird let out a short chirp and fluttered away. Sam peered out to follow its path, and saw that it had flown down to land on the extended hand of Hannah Washington. Sam blinked in confusion. The sun was just beginning to rise, a thin line of light on the horizon. She could just make out Hannah’s smile as she looked up at her from the yard.

Sam hurried downstairs to open the front door, shuffling out into the yard where Hannah was waiting. “How’d you do that?” she asked, gesturing to the bird.

“I asked nicely,” Hannah said, whistling a few notes at the bird. It whistled back and then took flight again, off into a nearby tree.

“Okay,” Sam said, blinking bemusedly. “What’s up?”

“I came to say goodbye,” Hannah said.

Sam’s faint smile dropped. “Wait, what? You’re leaving _now?_ ”

Hannah twirled a strand of hair around one finger, seemingly unwilling to meet Sam’s gaze. “Um, yeah. My dad’s friend said my room at her house is all ready and there was a seven o’clock flight today, so…” She shrugged. “It’s time.”

“Wow.” Sam was reeling a bit, but she tried not to let it show. “Um, well… I guess this is goodbye, huh?”

Hannah’s lip trembled, and then she flung her arms around Sam, nearly knocking her back. “I’m really glad I know you, Sam,” she said. “Look after my brother and sister, okay? Keep them out of trouble.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’re going to come back and I’ll have turned them both into pinnacles of good behavior.” They both laughed at that, and Hannah released her. She was still smiling, though she looked even more emotional than before.

“I’ll see you around, Sam,” Hannah said. Sam nodded, reaching over to squeeze the other girl’s shoulder.

“Good luck,” she said. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

After Hannah left, Sam went back up to her room. She was still tired, but something told her to stay awake. When her phone lit up about twenty minutes later with a text from Beth, she was glad she hadn’t fallen asleep.

_Can I come over?_

_Sure thing,_ Sam replied. _Just text me when you’re here and I’ll let you in._

Beth took very little time to show up, and the sun was fully risen by this point. Sam’s mom was still asleep, though, so the girls tiptoed upstairs and quietly shut Sam’s door. They both climbed into the bed, Sam pulling the comforter up over them both. The light bled through the fabric, casting them both in a pink-purple glow. It reminded Sam of the fervens grove, and her heart felt warm.

“Han left for the airport,” Beth said when they were both comfortable. She sighed. “I’m sad.”

“I know,” Sam said, taking Beth’s hand and rubbing her thumb over her girlfriend’s knuckles. “But she’ll be back. And she’ll be happier when she comes home.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Beth said grumpily. “I just wish this town wasn’t so shitty to us that it made her want to run away.”

Sam felt a twinge of guilt, the one that she thought would probably linger every time she thought about how she used to think of the Washingtons. “Things will change,” she said.

“You think?”

“Sure,” Sam said. “I mean, I did.”

Beth leaned in close, pressing her lips to Sam’s. “Yeah, but you’re special. I’m not just going to go around wooing everyone in Fairton.”

“You better not,” Sam giggled. She tried to stifle a yawn, but it slipped out of her anyway, and Beth chuckled fondly.

“Looks like someone could use a chai latte,” she said.

Sam perked up instantly. “That would be _awesome_.”

Beth grinned, pushing the covers off both of their heads. “To Whimsy, then?”

“To Whimsy,” Sam agreed.

The air outside was crisp, and it felt for the first time that winter was really giving way to spring. A bird sat on a telephone wire and trilled a familiar tune as they passed. It had been dark before, but Sam could swear it was the same bird Hannah had sent to her window. Beth looked like she recognized the tune, too, because a smile crossed her face at the sound.

When they were halfway there, another couple came into sight around the corner. Jess took one look at Sam and Beth holding hands and squealed. Emily scrunched her nose at the volume, but when she caught Sam’s eye, she looked more amused than annoyed.

“Oh my god!” Jess said, running up and grabbing Sam and Beth’s free hands. “Look at you two! I’m so happy, my little lesbian prodigy is all grown up.”

“You’re so weird,” Sam said, while Beth looked like she was torn between amusement and confusion. “We were headed to Whimsy, want to come?”

“A double date!” Jess exclaimed, dropping their hands so she could clap. She turned to Emily. “You in, babe?”

“You definitely don’t need any more caffeine in your system right now,” Emily said, rolling her eyes. “But yeah, sure.” The four girls fell into step together, and the rest of the walk was filled with Jessica’s excitable voice, Emily occasionally interjecting. Beth unlocked the doors to let them all in, hopping over the counter to get drinks started.

“Look at you,” Emily said, side-eyeing Sam. “A lovestruck idiot if I ever saw one.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam said, only a little embarrassed. “Like you don’t look at Jess the same way.”

“Touche.” Emily looked over at Jess, who was leaning on the counter and talking to Beth while she worked. Beth seemed to be warming to the other girl quickly, and handed her the first of three big, steaming mugs. She brought Sam and Emily theirs shortly after, and Sam couldn’t help but sigh as the smell of spices hit her. She cupped the mug in both hands, bringing it up to her nose and inhaling deeply.

“You sure you don’t put love potions in these things?” she joked, taking a sip. It was perfect, warm and sweet. Beth just winked at her.

“Washingtons never reveal their secrets,” she told her. “But let’s just be real here, Sammy. I don’t need love potions to win you over.”

“Cocky,” Sam chided. “I mean, true, but still. Don’t go getting a big head.”  

Beth smirked, took the mug from her hands, and kissed her.

*~*~*

_SIX MONTHS LATER_

 

“Okay, so everyone knows the plan, right?” Beth asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, for the hundredth time, _yes_. We show up at six, hide by a quarter after, and Josh will bring Hannah in by 6:20.”

“I just want it to be perfect,” Beth said, wringing her hands. Sam touched her shoulder, shooting her a reassuring look. Beth smiled slightly, the tension in her body relaxing a little. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you all back here in an hour. Don’t be late!”

“Take a chill pill, Bethany, I’m begging you,” Chris said as he headed out of Whimsy. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Sam had to admit, she was a little nervous too. She’d talked to Hannah regularly during the other girl’s stint in Los Angeles, but she wasn’t sure what to expect now that Hannah was coming home. And Hannah had never been one for big parties — hopefully she’d enjoy the surprise and not feel too overwhelmed.

By the time they were all gathered in the Washingtons’ apartment, hiding behind furniture with the _WELCOME HOME, HANNAH!_ banner overhead, everyone was getting jittery. They heard the click of the door unlocking, and a chorus of shushing was cut short as Josh opened the door, talking loudly to his sister as he did so.

“Yeah, not much has changed since you left,” he was saying. “We got some new decor, though.”

“Really?” Hannah said. Josh flipped on the lights. Everyone jumped out from behind couches and chairs, shouting “SURPRISE!”

Hannah gaped at them all — they’d gotten the whole gang to show up — and a grin spread across her face. “Oh my _gosh_ , you guys!” she exclaimed. Josh kept looking from the group to Hannah, positively giddy.

They all rushed forward to hug Hannah and ask her about Los Angeles. Sam stood back and let the others go first; she was sure she’d have plenty of time to catch up with Hannah later. Besides, Beth looked like she was about to cry as she near-tackled her twin sister in a hug, so it would be a while before Hannah was free to talk. Sam decided to take a seat on the couch next to Emily, who had a very smug expression.

“What’s that look for?” Sam asked.

“You’re welcome,” Emily said simply. Sam gave her a blank look. “You know, for dragging your protesting ass into Whimsy Cafe all those months ago. What would you do without me, honestly?”

“I never want to find out,” Sam said. The two of them surveyed the rest of their friends, the three Washingtons in the center of it all. Sam caught Beth’s eye from across the room, and her girlfriend was beaming. And in that moment, everything felt a perfect mix of strange and wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all SO MUCH for your support for this fic. all the comments and whatnot really made me so happy, i wasn't sure what the response for this would be tbh and you guys rly made it worthwhile to keep writing. i've looooved writing in this 'verse and i wouldn't be surprised if i write a couple of oneshots later on as companion pieces, so keep yer eyes peeled. 
> 
> as always, hmu on tumblr at joshuawashinton if you wanna talk about until dawn or anything else!!!


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